South Tyneside Festival cancelled over Covid uncertainty

The open-access Sunday Concerts in Bents Park have attracted crowds of up 20,000

A summer-long seaside festival has been cancelled for the second year running as a result of the pandemic.

The South Tyneside Festival, due to be staged in South Shields from June to August, was set to feature musicians such as Ella Henderson and Will Young.

The council said that it had been deferred to 2022, due to "uncertainty over when social distancing measures will be lifted".

Tickets will be valid once the performances have been rescheduled.

The event features a community parade

The festival was also due to include a community parade as well as Proms in the Park, children's events and brass bands.

Tom Hall, South Tyneside's director of public health, described it as a "huge disappointment", but said the safety of festival goers, artists, participants and staff were of "paramount importance".

"There is simply too much uncertainty at this time over when social distancing restrictions will be lifted and the Covid-mitigation measures the government may require," he said.

"As our events are open access for all, it would be very difficult to deliver them in a Covid-secure way, not to mention the risk of attracting thousands more people to an already busy seafront over the summer."

Ella Henderson was due to be one of the big names

The council's events team said it was developing an alternative programme of family friendly events and activities to take place later in the summer.