Organisers of a festival due to be held in West Cumbria later this year have bypassed licensing rules by claiming it is a private event.
The three-day event, which will feature alt-right columnist Katie Hopkins, Covid conspiracist and ex-footballer Matt Le Tissier and many other prominent figures in the so-called ‘alternative truth’ movement, is due to be held in May.
When it was first advertised, people could just buy tickets straight from the festival’s website – starting at £99 for adult weekend camping.
Now, the website says: “We are excited to offer access to early bird membership via donation to our private members club. These donations provide benefits including access to the UK’s best speakers.”
So rather than a ticket, people are making a fixed donation to the festival organisers and joining a private members’ club.
This allows the organisers – only identified as Nic and Kev, of Buxton Free Hub on the site – to bypass usual licensing procedures for the festival, because it is being held on private land.
People organising events for the public should have licences in place for live music, food vendors and some form of public liability insurance.
Cumbria police and other statutory bodies have the opportunity to raise objections when applications go through the normal licensing process.
Because this festival is now billed as a private event, it is understood there is technically no licensing required.
It will be held in a field between Distington and Gilgarran.
Billed as the first festival of its kind, organisers say it will offer ‘uplifting talks and inspiring solutions’.
Other speakers include other Covid-19 conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, a man who wants to be appointed leader of the United Kingdom and a New World Order activist.
When Cumbria Crack revealed the festival was going ahead, we contacted the organisers for a response, but received no reply.
