ORGANISERS of two of Oxfordshire’s biggest music festivals are still hoping to stage events for tens of thousands of people this summer despite the cancellation of the country’s biggest festival, Glastonbury.

Cornbury Festival, in Great Tew, near Chipping Norton, and Truck Festival, in Steventon, told the Oxford Mail that they were cautiously planning to proceed, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Glastonbury Festival was cancelled for the second year in a row because of Covid.

It had been hoped that the celebration of music and arts – which was set to feature Oxford band Supergrass – would be able to go ahead this June, after it was called off in 2020 on what would have been its 50th anniversary. However, farm owner Michael Eavis and his daughter Emily said last month: “In spite of our efforts to move heaven and earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the festival happen this year.”

Read again: Glastonbury is cancelled again

Cornbury Festival is due to take place from July 9-11, with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams confirmed as a headliner.

Director Hugh Phillimore said: “We’re still planning to hold Cornbury in July. I think we have to give it our best shot – we all need something to look forward to.

Cropredy Festival. By Tim Hughes

Cropredy Festival. By Tim Hughes

“We think that because of our older demographic, most of our audience will have been vaccinated by June and we can ask the rest to come with proof of a test. Ultimately it will be up to

Public Health England and West Oxfordshire District Council if the event goes ahead.”

He added: “Festival organisers are all a bit gloomy. I’m trying to stay positive – what else is there?”

Truck Festival is set to take place at Hill Farm from July 23-25. While the line-up has not been announced, it is hoped to feature many of the acts from last year’s cancelled event, such as Bombay Bicycle Club, Catfish and The Bottlemen, The Kooks, La Roux and Oxfordshire’s Rhys Lewis.

Organisers said: “We’re still busy behind the scenes preparing to welcome everyone for that much needed beer in Steventon in July. We’re a much smaller festival, later in the summer, and we don’t need to make any rushed decisions regarding this year’s event, but there is, of course, a possibility 2021 will be a no-goer.

Read more: Oxford band Supergrass gutted to miss out on Glastonbury

“Rest assured if this is the case, all ticket holders will be given the opportunity to rollover to Truck Festival 2022 or to claim a refund.

“Fingers crossed these next few months see much more positive news and if we can take place safely in 2021, it promises to be the party of the summer.”

Cornbury Festival. Tim Hughes

Cornbury Festival. Tim Hughes

Organisers of other events exercised caution. Cropredy Festival, which is staged near Banbury by the folk-rock band Fairport Convention, are still selling tickets for their three-day event from August 12-14, but have declined to confirm whether the event will still go ahead.

Andy Pickard, the organiser of the county’s biggest free weekend music festival, Riverside, in Charlbury, was also being realistic, saying: “We’re going to wait to gauge the lay of the land.”

Go to festival websites to support local festivals by buying tickets, which can be rolled over to next year if the events are forced to postpone.

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