Popular UK summer festival attracting 50,000 per year is AXED – leaving fans devastated

A POPULAR music festival which attracts more than 50,000 revellers a year will not be returning in 2025.

The event has been a staple of the summer festival season for years but punters will miss out this year.

Africa Oyé, which celebrates African music and culture, pulled in a sea of music lovers in 2024 - smashing previous attendance records.

However, bosses are feeling the pinch of industry supplier costs across the sector, Liverpool Echo .

The popular festival will therefore take a 'fallow year' to prepare for what will be a fiercely awaited return on June 21 and 22, 2026 at Liverpool's Sefton Park.

It comes as spiralling costs forced around 125 grassroots music venues across the country closed last year, while an estimated 192 festivals have vanished since 2019.

"We understand that there will of course be disappointment with this announcement," Paul Duhaney, artistic director of Africa Oyé, said.

";Our relationships with the Oyé family, festival staff, traders and service suppliers are very important to us and we did not take this decision lightly.

"With increased infrastructure and compliance costs, it is simply a case that without major investment to cover the costs of delivering a festival of this size safely, it would be irresponsible to go ahead with the event in 2025."

Paul added: “I can reassure everyone that the festival will be back in 2026.

"The break will allow us to raise money through a series of fundraising concerts, allow us time to negotiate with major partners, sponsors, and funders, and work towards a safe and successful return to Sefton Park.”

Meanwhile, Jen Cleary, director, North and Combined Arts, Arts Council England, said: “Africa Oyé’s celebrations of African music and culture are well-loved across both the North West and the national music scene and it was great to see record attendances to its 2024 festival.