London’s Lido Festival cancels CMAT and Bombay Bicycle Club headline dates, reschedules Maribou State
CMAT and Bombay Bicycle Club’s headline shows at this year’s iteration of Lido Festival, set to take place in London‘s Victoria Park, have been cancelled.
Meanwhile, electronic duo Maribou State’s headline show has been rescheduled from June to August, with the festival citing conditions of the grounds as the reasoning for the unfortunate series of changes.
The festival confirmed the news in a statement shared online, which explained that the “one-off date adjustment” is “in no way the fault of the artists or London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH), all of whom have been fully supportive”.
This now means that the June 12th event, featuring headliner CMAT, along with Father John Misty and Sharon Van Etten, as well as the June 14th event, featuring headliners Bombay Bicycle Club as well as Metronomy, will be cancelled as they “cannot be rescheduled”.
Maribou State, as well as the full support bill including Kelis, Folamour, and Theo Parrish b2b Moodymann, will now be rescheduled to August 31st.
Bombay Bicycle Club have released a statement apologising for the unprecedented cancellation, writing that the cancellation was a “knock-on effect of the work that was required after last year’s events and the wet winter causing further issues.”
The indie band added, “This one is very much out of our hands, but that doesn’t change how horribly we feel about the impact on fans who have bought tickets.”
They continued, “We know many of you made special plans and were going to travel from far and wide for this show and we are very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause you,” before clarifying that refunds will be issued automatically.
CMAT also apologised for the cancellation on her social media, writing on Instagram, “I am very very sorry to tell you that due to isses with the ground at Victoria Park, Lido Festival has to move to new dates in August, and as a result I – like others on the bill – am no longer able to play.”
She lamented, “As a result our Lido show can’t be rescheduled and won’t go ahead. Automatic refunds are available from the promoter.”
In the same vein as Bombay Bicycle Club, she added, “I am truly devastated not to be able to play this festival. I realise this will cause issues for some of you who have bought tickets and may be travelling and for that I can only say sorry.”
Beyond the apologies from the official headliners, the official statement released by the festival went on to explain, “Protecting the condition of Victoria Park is of paramount importance to LIDO and LBTH. Last summer’s drought led to well‑reported dust issues, but the extensive reseeding and improvement programme delivered by AEG has been highly successful, and the park is now in great condition for everyday community use, unhindered and fully open to local residents and visitors to LBTH.”
Despite the successful regrowth, a June event would be too early in the calendar year to test the green area again.
The statement added, “Following one of the wettest winters in recent history, our advisors recommended giving these newly improved areas a little more time before starting the festival programme.”
The festival explained that the decision was made “solely by the event organisers”, with the best outcome for park users and the wider community in mind.
The statement clarified, “There is no impact on LBTH, and all financial commitments and AEG’s support for community programmes in the borough remain fully protected.”
Jim King, CEO of AEG Presents UK and European Festivals, added succinctly, “Moving LIDO to August means stronger events this year and a park that’s even better placed for the years ahead. We thank LBTH for their understanding in permitting this accommodation, which supports the best outcome for park users and local residents.”
Other disrupted performances include Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Getdown Services, Katy J Pearson, Junior Brother, and Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle on June 12th, as well as Alice Phoebe Lou, Billie Marten, and Lucy Rose on June 14th.
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