Two day music festival in Dorset 'called off'
A two day music festival planned to take place in Dorset this September appears to have been cancelled
Last updated 13th Aug 2021
A September musical festival planned for the Wimborne area appears to have been called off.
A website advertising the Multiverse event at Uddens from the 3rd to the 5th September now says that it has been cancelled.
The organiser failed to turn up to the latest licensing hearing in Dorchester and police and environmental health officers say he had stopped responding to their emails after an initial, brief, exchange.
The farmer who was said to have allowed his land to be used has since said that he had not given permission.
A licensing panel hearing refused the application for the temporary event notice to sell alcohol after hearing evidence from officials.
Objections
Both police and environmental health staff had objected to the application and became suspicious after the event was described in the paperwork as a “family camping event with art, workshops, food and drink and music” for up to 500 people.
The Police objection said the organiser’s own online advertising made no mention of ‘family’ events at all and describes the gathering as being for Chillout, Psy-Chill and Psy-Dub music which would continue until at least dawn on the first day.
The temporary event licence had asked for the sale of drink from midday on Friday to 5am Saturday and to 3am on Sunday.
It has been submitted in the name of Mr Samuel Taylor. His address, age and all contact details had been redacted by Dorset Council on the application form.
A website advertising the event had offered weekend tickets for £100 and listed around 45 performers on two stages. The licensing meeting heard that around 150 tickets had already been sold by the time the ‘event cancelled’ notice was published.
Family event?
Dorset Council community protection officer Michael Hale said originally he thought the organiser might have muddled up the 24-hour clock in the application, given that the event was described as being for families, and that the sale of alcohol should end at 5pm – but the application made it clear that it was 5am which was being applied for. Mr Hale said that without evidence of proper controls, which he did not have despite asking, this was almost certain to lead to problems.
He also disputed the claims made by Mr Taylor that most of the nearest properties were at least 1,000 metres away – producing a map which showed dozens of homes within that range, some as close as 250metres.
Questions asked over organiser's experience
Dorset Police said that there was nothing in the application to back up the organiser’s claim that he was an experienced event organiser – with no details submitted initially, or when later asked, about how the event would cope with the welfare of vulnerable, unwell or intoxicate persons, missing people, the control of alcohol brought on to site and with no details of a drug policy or a policy for looking after children.
Cllr Les Fry, who chaired the hearing, said that as the county was beginning to recover it welcomed events, but had to be reassured that they were properly organised and that those attending and nearby residents, were kept safe.
Appeal
The applicant, Mr Taylor, has 28 days to appeal the decision, if he chooses to do so.