Scottish festival, headlined by The Libertines, cancelled due to ticket sales
Discovery Festival in Dundee, set to be headlined by The Libertines, has been cancelled due to low ticket sales.
The three-day event, which was also set to feature former Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley and boyband 5ive at the top of the bill, was due to take place between July 24th and July 26th, has now been postponed until 2027.
Additionally, sister events that were set to be held in Plymouth and Darlington have also been pushed back until next summer.
In a statement, organisers shared, “It is with great disappointment that we must announce the postponement of Discovery Festival, in Dundee 2026.”
Highlighting the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, Discovery Festival added, “When we planned this event a year ago, none of us could have anticipated the current economic situation and the impact it would have on all our lives, affecting everyone’s disposable income.”
They also highlighted BBC Radio 2’s decision to bring Party in the Park to Stirling, Scotland, in September as another reason for why “we are not able to deliver the experience you have previously enjoyed with us and we believe you deserve”.
The Radio 2 event will bring huge acts such as Chaka Khan, Simple Minds, The Script, Texas, Level 42 and James Blunt to Scotland.
Organisers added, “We have therefore reached the very difficult and heartbreaking decision to postpone the festival to the confirmed dates of 22nd - 25th July 2027, with 80’s Calling confirmed on 24th July.”
Discovery Festival Dundee is encouraging ticket-holders to keep hold of their tickets for the 2027 event, and promises them a complimentary ticket to a day of their choice if they choose to do so. Alternatively, they can exchange it for a ticket to Summer End’s Angus this summer, or get a refund.
Similarly, for ticket-holders to the Plymouth and Darlington events, they can get the same complimentary ticket offer if they keep hold of the tickets for 2027, or get a refund.
Notably, Discovery Festival is not the only major Scottish event that has found itself in this position this summer. Last month, it was confirmed that Womad Glasgow also wouldn’t be going ahead due to ticket sales.
In a statement issued on June 2nd, the festival confirmed, “While audience response to the programme and the vision for the event was extremely positive, ticket sales did not reach the level required to deliver the festival sustainably in its inaugural year.”
Meanwhile, GlasGael, an Irish music festival set to be held earlier this summer in Glasgow, was also cancelled. It was due to take place in a 5,000-capacity Big Top tent on May 2nd and May 3rd in Glasgow Green, but was axed just weeks before, with organisers explaining that “the ongoing cost of living crisis has created unprecedented challenges.”
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