The festival has released the following statement:
It is with immense personal regret that the Directors of Beachdown Festival have been advised that they must announce that due to slower than forecast ticket-sales and lack of support at a critical time from our bank and certain suppliers that despite being so so close to being able to deliver Beachdown Festival we are unable to do so. Very simply we were unable to meet the demands that the current economic climate put against us and at the eleventh hour despite having most of the infrastructure in place we have been forced to cancel the event.
We wish to say at this time how desperately sorry we are to all those who have bought tickets or were participating in the event and to say that we all here are personally shattered especially after eleven months of battling against the recession to try and put this event on and coming so close. We also wish to advise everyone that we explored every possible avenue to finance the event including re-mortgaging our houses to combat the unwillingness of banks to support us.
We will do everything in our power to give the best information that we can via the web-site and via email but we ask that people understand that we will also be inundated with enquiries but we will endeavour to communicate to everyone as best we can.
We ask all ticket-holders to get information from the outlet that you purchased the ticket from in the first instance and once again we will do everything we can to get as much information as we can to everyone as quickly as we can.
Beachdown Festival will return to the outskirts of Brighton, set on the South Downs in East Sussex, on August Bank Holiday, from Friday 28th August to Monday 31st August 2009 with a full line-up of entertainment commencing at noon on Friday 28th through to 9pm on Monday 31st August.
Some of the line-up for 2009 will include Grace Jones, Ocean Colour Scene, The Zutons, Laurent Garnier (live), Super Furry Animals, The Rakes, Saint Etienne, Grandmaster Flash, Prince Buster and the Delroy Williams Junction Band, The Fall, Ida Maria, Terry Callier, Mulatu Astatke and the Heliocentrics, Quantic Soul Orchestra, James ,Acid House Brass Band, Secret Affair, Joey Negro and the Sunburst Band, The Blockheads, Gilles Peterson, Laura Izibor, Belleruche, Good Times feat Norman Jay & Dave Lee, Hospitality feat High Contrast, Skream, London Elektricity, Ed Rush, Cyantific, Caspa, Break, Randomer, Rod Azlan, MC Wrec and Script, Jah Shaka Sound System – 4 day residency, and Jazzanova.
Local acts include Mean Poppa Lean, Drookit Dogs, Sweet Sweet Lies, Gloria Cycles, The Perils, The Beautiful Word, Portslade, Los Albertos, Ocean Reid, Chris Simmons, Seeker, Two Spot Gobi, and Rebel Control.
The best of Brighton club nights returns with Blah Blah Blah, Spellbound, Stick it On, Roots Garden, Supercharged, Ocean Rooms, Bust the Box and Tekkitangwan Sound System presents the Boogie Beach Hut, Playgroup, plus Tatoo Parlour, Face Painting, Dance Offs and competitions.
Adult tickets for the 2009 event will be priced at £97.50. Separate children tickets (3-12yrs) are priced at £45. To buy tickets, click here.
Camping facilities, including luxury camping options will be available and shuttle buses running every hour running from Brighton to the festival site and back from 10am until 1am which means all local festival goers should leave their cars at home.
Beachdown Festival will also be celebrating what would have been the King of Pop's 51st Birthday on the 29th August with a medley of artists covering their favourite Michael Jackson songs.
Beachdown will also have an extensive cabaret line-up.
Please note that Beachdown will not be allowing festival goers to bring their own alcohol purchased off-site, this includes both the arena and the campsite areas.
The parking facilities will be located off site, so as not to disturb or damage the natural environment of the south downs. Car parks will be utilised at the nearby Hickstead Showground and at Shoreham Airport, where buses will ferry festival goers from their car directly to the camp site.
The food stalls on site will offer locally sourced and organic menus, some provided by local brand name restaurants. The event which will be slightly bigger in 2009, is also aiming to be carbon neutral.
Beachdown are providing a dedicated family camping area located around 300 metres from the car park / bus drop off point adjacent to which is the Children's Entertainment Area where in addition to traditional entertainment such as puppetry, bouncy castles, ball pond, carousel and coconut shy there will be organised soft-play assault courses, and beach-themed activities on offer.
More information will be here when available.
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