Today's cancellation of Sidmouth Folk Festival is 'not good for the town but it is realistic,' says the chairman of Sidmouth Town Council.

The organisers of Sidmouth Folk Festival, due to take place between July 31 and August 7, announced today that this year's festival will not be going ahead as, 'the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic clearly makes it impossible'.

Council Chair Ian Barlow spoke to Nub News this afternoon, he said: "It's not good for the town but it is realistic. Even if everything is lifted by then, will people be up for mass gatherings after all this?

"We've got to live with the situation we are in. I think it's the right thing to do, to save resources for next year.

"It's going to take us months to get back to normality. We need to look to next year now and make sure Sidmouth has the right offering. We look forward to supporting the festival in 2021.

"I think we may get some people coming on holiday this year but realistically people are going to be very wary about travelling too much.

"I think this will be the whole country's 'horrible year', let's put a cross through 2020 and start looking forward to 2021."

The festival had more than 700 individual events planned and this year's headline artists included Steeleye Span, Fisherman's Friends, Show of Hands, Eddi Reader, Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings and Eliza Carthy.

Dates have now been set for the 2021 festival – July 30 to August 6 – and preparations are already under way to make this an extra special party for both the town and the folk music and dance lovers who visit each year.

Click here to read the full statement from the festival's organisers.

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