Multi-day dance-music cancellations for safety concerns across both beloved England weekenders left DJs and fans alike feeling disappointed and "furious.
Reading and Leeds festivals' new dance-focused stages, both called The Warehouse, were forced to close at multiple points due to overcrowding and safety concerns this past weekend.
The annual late August bank holiday festivals, both running 27th through 30th August, experienced larger-than-expected interest in the purpose-built electronic music areas, announced in March, in efforts to attract wider audiences.
On Friday, the 28th, Reading festival cancelled Prospa and Skepta's back-to-back DJ set for safety concerns, according to the Reading Chronicle. (Skepta's main stage performance at Reading went on as planned despite rain.).
Leeds festival shut The Warehouse on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th, Far Out magazine reports, with Julian Fijma's Saturday afternoon set cut short. "Unfortunately, we had to shut the stage down", Fijma wrote on social media, via Far Out.
There was way too many people outside, and yeah, we couldn’t keep going. But I’ll be back soon." Videos Fijma posted of his Leeds set before the halt show a packed house dancing to Grace's 'Not Over Yet (Perfecto Remix).
DJs weren't the only ones expressing disappointment at The Warehouse stages' inability to cope with demand, festivalgoers were "furious". One fan named Lily told Yorkshire Evening Post, "Honest truth.
Furious! I think it's not right. We've been standing here for a two-hour wait to get in, just for us to get round the corner, and then they're like, 'Oh, it's cancelled, they're not playing.
Another attendee named Simon added, "I'm disappointed. My sense of things is that they've called it wrong. They have underestimated the popularity of dance music, quite frankly.
O festival de Leeds conseguiu transferir alguns sets de DJ para o palco LS23, segundo o Haven, com Mall Grab, Rossi e Riordan capazes de oferecer ao fim de semana um “huge final run” no domingo — veja clipes aqui.
DJ Mag has contacted Reading and Leeds festivals for comment.
