Bestival going into administration?

By Neil Greenway | Published: Mon 24th Sep 2018

Bestival 2018

Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th August 2018
Lulworth Castle, Lulworth, Dorset, BH20 5QS, England MAP
£180 + £10 eco-bond + £1 charity 'donation' (mandatory)

Daily capacity: 35,000

Bestival is in financial difficulties reports the Sunday Times (here - subscription required). According to those reports, loans tycoon James Benamor has filed administration notices at the High Court around a loan of £1.6M that was taken out by Bestival in February this year.

Started in 2004 and originally on the Isle of Wight, Bestival downsized and moved to the mainland to the same site as Camp Bestival 2 years ago. Camp Bestival has put tickets on sale for next year while there's been no news about another Bestival.

Camp Bestival has made a statement (here), saying that tickets for next year's event remain valid and that "we have no reason to believe Camp Bestival won’t go ahead as planned and we are deep into the planning stages for the 2019 event", although tickets for Camp Bestival have been taken off sale.

eFestivals had heard several things about Bestival in recent weeks, including statements going out to artists who'd performed this year apologising for slow payments and saying refinancing was taking place.

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