AFTER weeks of speculation, Bradford Council has announced that the hugely popular Bingley Music Live festival will not run this year.

A release by the Council this afternoon says the 2019 festival, which was due to be held in Myrtle Park late August, would not be going ahead after the Council took a "difficult decision" to scrap it.

As recently reported, the 2018 the event ran at a loss - going £300,000 over budget, and questions about its future were raised in recent weeks after no announcements about this year's lineup had yet been made.

'Late decisions' over Bingley Music Live 2018 contributed to £300,000 overspend

The late decision to cancel the three day festival has led to a barrage of criticism against the Council. The company that was due to organise the concert claimed they had acts lined up for this Summer, and only found out of the cancellation today.

Since Bingley Live began in its current form in 2007, it has become arguably the most popular annual event in the district, attracting tens of thousands of people to the town each year.

A statement from the Council said: "The fallow year will give the land, local population and the organisers a break whilst exploring different operating models which would limit the future financial risk to the council. This would include the potential to work with partners to stage the event."

Steve Hartley, Strategic Director of Place at Bradford Council, added: “Unfortunately we have had to take the difficult decision to take a year out of Bingley Music Live this year. It is not a decision that we have taken lightly, but we feel that we need to take a year out to take stock of the event’s organisation. In these difficult financial times for councils up and down the country, we cannot afford to lose money on the event.

“We care about Bingley and know the event will be missed by the many people who have grown to enjoy it.

"We’re also aware that Bingley Music Live has been a boost for the town’s economy and we’ll work with local Bingley organisations to look at what else we might be able to do in the area this year. With this in mind we have decided to give £20,000 to Bingley Chamber of Trade to run events in the town this year to support the local economy.

“Taking a year out will allow for the delivery in 2020 of a well-planned, sustainable festival that provides a great experience for visitors to and residents of the district.”

Newcastle based SSD concerts ran the festival on behalf of the Council last year, and was due to do the same this year. Steve Davis from SSD said: "We offered to take the festival over from the Council at no risk. It would have taken all the financial risk off them, move it forward as a private company, but they refused.

"We had the line up booked - it would have been a sell out line up."

He said he only found out the festival had been cancelled the same day the announcement was made public.

In response to Mr Davis' claims, Mr Hartley said: "Bingley Music Live is a Council event that has been developed over many years. We will consider the way it is delivered in 2020, which could involve working with partners or third parties as appropriate and such options will be considered as part of the final decision on how the event is staged in the future.

“Ideally the announcement that we’d be taking a year out in 2019 would have been made earlier but we had a number of key factors to consider. Once the decision was made we communicated it to everyone concerned.”

A spokesperson for Bingley Town Council said: "The Council is very aware of the strength of feeling about Bingley Music Live and the matter will be discussed at the next Town Council meeting on Tuesday April 30 at 6.30pm at at Bingley Scout Headquarters on Sycamore Avenue.

"There is always a public participation opportunity at the start of every Town Council meeting and anyone is welcome to attend on Tuesday and share their views."

A spokesman for the Conservative Group on Bradford Council said: "Yet again the Labour led Council have done down one of the District's outlying areas.

Cancellation will have a serious affect on Bingley businesses and the local economy. The promoter had the acts for the three day event finalised - to now cancel at such a late stage does not put Bradford in a good light nationally, especially after attracting Noel Gallagher last year."

A Liberal Democrat Spokesman said: "This could decimate some local businesses.

"We're really disappointed the Council hasn't been able to sort it out - they've got themselves into a mess.

"It will lead to a huge loss of trade in Bingley "If the Council run it like a business, then run it like a business - stop using taxpayers' money to bail the festival out."

In recent years the festival has attracted acts including Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Manic Street Preachers, Pet Shop Boys, Skindred, Chic and James.