Bingley Weekender 2021 postponed

US indie rockers Pixies are listed as one of Bingley Weekender's headliners

The organisers of a music festival criticised for a lack of communication have confirmed it has been postponed.

The Bingley Weekender was due to go ahead this August after 2020's event was cancelled during the lockdown.

But it has been pushed back another year, with promoter SSD Concerts saying it would be "too much of a risk for us to take" in 2021.

They blamed concerns about a lack of insurance cover and uncertainty over lifting of Covid restrictions.

Ticketholders had complained about "disgraceful" communication from the promoter and demanded to know whether the festival was going ahead.

In a statement, the organisers said they, along with other independent festivals, had been "waiting for a UK government-backed Covid insurance policy which has not arrive".

"Without insurance of this kind, we can't make all of the financial commitments that we need to," they said.

"Also, with the unpredictability of new variants and the UK's delayed reopening date, the festival this year is just too much of a risk for us to take."

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Rag'n'Bone Man will replace Primal Scream on the 2022 line-up

Most of the acts scheduled for 2021 are set to appear next year, with the exception of headliners Primal Scream, who will be replaced by Rag'n'Bone Man.

Other acts scheduled to perform in the West Yorkshire town include The Libertines, Embrace and US band the Pixies.

Ticketholders can either attend next year's festival or get a refund.

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A Facebook page linked to the event has drawn dozens of negative comments, with fans branding SSD's communication as "scandalous" and "ridiculous".

Richard Budgen, 42, from Leeds, who bought tickets for his family and said he and others had been chasing updates on whether the festival was going ahead.

"Lots of [ticketholders] have tried to contact SSD many times; they were reading our messages but never getting back." he said.