Latitude Festival: Snow Patrol hopes it will be third-time lucky in 2021

Snow Patrol were due to play at Latitude Festival in both 2019 and 2020

Snow Patrol's drummer hopes it will be "third-time lucky" after being unable to perform at the Latitude festival for the past two years.

The band were due to headline the festival, held in Henham Park, Suffolk, in 2019 but injuries to band members forced them to pull out.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of this year's event, but they have been invited back next year.

Drummer Jonny Quinn said the festival was "very special".

He said: "We played the first ever Latitude in 2006 and I think it was maybe 10,000 capacity - so it's lovely to be asked back."

Snow Patrol are due to perform on the Obelisk Stage in the Sunday lunchtime "special guests" slot, next year.

Jonny Quinn said Latitude in 2006 was one of the band's first chances at headlining a festival

Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi and indie band Bastille will also headline the festival in 2021, which is due to take place between 22 and 25 July.

Quinn said: "We were meant to headline last year, then we had a couple of injuries in the band.

"Johnny needed some serious spinal surgery and Nathan lost a part of his hand - so we had to cancel Glastonbury and everything.

"[Latitude] asked us to come back this year and obviously that hasn't happened, so third-time lucky."

In 2015, Quinn was one of two members of Snow Patrol to play alongside Suffolk singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran at an impromptu gig at the festival, but remembers meeting the star, who grew up in Framlingham, back in 2006.

"He was 14 and with all his mates, we got to know him through various things and his friends were telling us it was one of their first festival experiences."

Snow Patrol headlined the Obelisk arena when it was in a big tent on the Friday night at the first festival in 2006

Jonny Quinn played "a few songs" alongside his bandmate Nathan Connolly and Ed Sheeran at Latitude in 2015

Festivals and music events across the country have been cancelled because of Covid-19 and Quinn said the effect on the music industry had been "pretty devastating".

"It's very much on the crew and all the people who supply festivals, lighting companies, PA companies, people who rent out tents, the toilets - there's such a massive infrastructure that's been around," he said.

"For bands... these festivals kind of are pivotal in moving their career up to another level, through Glastonbury on TV, Reading and Leeds.

"It's very tough for people who it was going to propel - they may not get that opportunity again next year."