Camp Bestival facing uncertain future amid 'financial challenges'

Bestival Group has “every intention” of running Camp Bestival again next year, after releasing a statement admitting it has been facing “some financial challenges of late”.

The family-friendly festival, which is held at the Lulworth Estate in Dorset, was forced to cancel its Sunday event in July this year for safety reasons after the site was battered by heavy rain and high winds. Thousands of ticket-holders are still waiting to be refunded.

In a statement posted on the Camp Bestival website, organisers said they were in the process of finding “a new partner to come on board with the financial commitments to deliver Camp Bestival 2019 in its finest form”.

They added: “As we stand currently, there is every intention to make this show happen, and move forward into a new era.”

Camp Bestival tickets for 2019 remain valid, organisers confirmed, adding they are “deep into the planning stages” for next year’s event.

Organisers also claimed the cancellation of the Sunday event in July was not the reason for the financial challenges, but “it was not a positive factor for the business”.

“We are hoping for an update on the refund process ASAP once we have a clear response and timeline from all agents involved,” the organisers continued.

Camp Bestival is the sibling festival of Bestival, which is held on the same site. No statement has been given regarding Bestival’s viability for 2019. A spokesperson for Bestival told GO London they were "unable to comment at this moment".