Newcastle festival postponed due to 'oversaturated market'

A music festival in Newcastle will not be going ahead this year, organisers have confirmed, just two months before it was due to be held.

This is Tomorrow was a sell out when it was staged in Exhibition Park last year, but sparked hundreds of complaints about noise.

Newcastle City Council then imposed new restrictions which organisers had described as "challenging".

But the postponement was due to rising costs and an "oversaturated market".

The three-day festival was due to happen from June 3 to 5, but will now take place in May 2023.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said more than 90 complaints were made about the "horrendous" disturbance caused to neighbours in Jesmond by the four-day event last September.

Following a recent hearing at which Urban Green Newcastle, which has run the city's parks since 2019, sought to secure a new events licence for Exhibition Park, the city council put in place a set of strict new regulations.

They include a nine-day per year limit on events for between 500 and 15,000 attendants.

Councillors also backed a crucial restriction on noise, limiting it to no more than five decibels above existing background levels at the nearest homes - something Urban Green's barrister had claimed would prevent any concerts going ahead.

A spokesperson for This Is Tomorrow said: "The recent discussion and restrictions placed on the licence for Exhibition Park are challenging, but this is not the reason we are choosing to have a year off.

"With an oversaturated market, the ongoing economic crisis and rising costs, 2022 is the wrong year for the festival to expand further."

Organisers were "working on some noise modelling" ahead of next year's event, "to minimise any disturbance for residents and maximise the experience for festival fans".

The spokesperson added: "The handful of early bird ticket buyers have already been refunded or are in the process of being refunded.

"We look forward to a great festival in 2023 for the local people who attend and work on the event."