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Standon Calling cancels halfway through final day due to poor weather

By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 26 July 2021

Having held on long enough to be able to go ahead with its 2021 edition following the lifting of pandemic restrictions in England on 19 Jul, Standon Calling had to cancel halfway through its final day at the weekend due to adverse weather conditions.

The festival’s site was hit with heavy rain and thunderstorms yesterday, making it unsafe to continue, reminding everyone that – even without COVID – running festivals during the Great British summertime can be a little bit risky.

As the stormy weather arrived, the show was initially suspended in the hope that it would pass. However, as conditions became worse, the site began to flood. That coupled with the continued risk of lightning strikes lead to the rest of the event being called off entirely.

“Unfortunately due to flooding we will no longer be able to proceed with the festival”, said organisers in a tweeted statement. “If you can safely leave the site this evening please do so as soon as possible. We are working on getting everyone off site as safely and quickly as possible”.

However, the weather and resulting flooding meant that for many, leaving the site was not really an option. For starters, many drivers, expecting to leave the next day, were intoxicated. And even if they had been able to drive, roads around the site were blocked. This also meant the people being picked up or planning to use public transport were also unable to leave.

Police later said that “vehicles leaving the festival site will take precedence over other traffic”. And the festival itself said that it would make provisions for people unable to leave the site.

Among the artists unable to perform yesterday as a result of of all this were Craig David, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Primal Scream and De La Soul.