New music festival to go ahead despite concerns

The festival is already offering guests the chance to take hot air balloon rides over Somerset

A new community-led arts and music festival has been granted a licence by the council.

Show of Hands is scheduled to take place in Bruton, Somerset, on the May Bank Holiday weekend, with a capacity of 2,500 people.

The licence was granted despite concerns about noise levels and alcohol consumption that were raised during a Somerset Council licensing committee meeting on Wednesday.

However, Matthew Phipps, representing the festival, said at the meeting: "We can develop this event confident in the knowledge that it will not be a nuisance to local residents."

Festival director Alex Lane grew up hot air ballooning around Somerset and this forms a part of the festival - with attendees already able to book rides around the Mendips, Somerset Levels and Glastonbury Tor at dusk and dawn.

The idea of the festival is to let ticket buyers vote on everything from programming to its design.

Attendees, artists and crew will be given access to an online platform where they can propose ideas and vote on others.

At the meeting, Rob Sage, a councillor at Batcombe Parish Council, said: "There are festivals that have caused concern for residents, where they were kept awake at night with music.

"We were very grateful when all the other festivals moved on and went somewhere else so we were disappointed that we have a new music festival coming here."

Mr Phipps said the festival has limited tickets to 3,000 people and intends it to be a family-friendly event.

They have also put a noise management plan in place and will have a hotline residents can ring during the festival.

The festival's musical line up will feature a range of jazz, experimental and neo-soul artists as well as electronic DJs.