Nozstock festival to end after 26 years, due to cost of living crisis

6 December, 2023

Festival crowd

Nozstock festival is set to end after 26 years due to the impact of the cost of living crisis.

The independent event is due to host its final edition in Bromyard, Herefordshire between July 18-21, 2024. Per its official website, the line-up for next year is “coming soon”. Tickets are on sale now – you can buy yours here.

This week, organisers of the festival – full name Nozstock The Hidden Valley – confirmed in a statement that “sadly Nozstock 2024 will be the last one”. It went on to explain that “the losses incurred over COVID” and the ongoing cost of living crisis pose a significant “financial risk”.

“But we intend to go out with a bang!” the message continued. “We will be putting together a line-up of some of our favourites from over the years plus the usual exciting additions you’ve come to expect from us.

“We will celebrate the amazing 26 years we’ve had, the people we’ve met, the sights we’ve seen, the music we’ve heard and the moments we’ve made.”

John Rostron, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), said in a separate statement: “It’s incredibly sad to see Nozstock The Hidden Valley forced to close its gates for good as a direct result of the financial strain faced by many following significant COVID losses and an ongoing cost of living crisis.

“After almost three decades of great events, Nozstock has become a key fixture on the UK’s independent festival calendar, and this should serve as yet another alarm bell warning of the perilous situation that many in this cultural sector are facing.”

He continued: “Already, neither NASS Festival and Leopallooza will return in 2024; Bluedot is on a hiatus after a difficult 2023 edition, and the award-winning Field Maneuvres has announced its 2024 festival will be its last in its current form.

“The impact of COVID and high supply chain costs means the squeeze on festivals is increasing. It is inevitable that there will be more closures if urgent action is not taken. We again call on the government to review VAT on music festival ticket sales and lower the rate to five per cent for an extended period to help support the recovery of the festival sector.”

Elsewhere in their post, organisers thanked the performers who have appeared at the festival over the years, as well as the traders, crew, and all the fans who have attended.

“You made a drum n bass loving farmer very happy and created a Nozstock family that meant the world to us,” it concluded.

Ella Nosworthy, Creative Director at Nozstock, told BBC Hereford and Worcester that calling it a day felt like the “right decision” (via BBC News). She said the COVID pandemic had a “huge effect” on events and venues nationwide, and that it had been “hard to recover”.

Nosworthy continued: “And then we’ve gone straight into a cost of living crisis and the financial risk is just becoming too much. Costs have doubled across the whole site and ticket prices can’t double in line with that.”

Since being founded by the Nosworthy family in 1998, Nozstock festival has hosted performances from the likes of Chase & Status, The Buzzcocks, Two Door Cinema Club, De La Soul, Sleaford Mods, Rudimental and Goldfrapp.

In other news, legendary Bath music venue Moles has closed its doors for the last time after 45 years.

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