ONE OF the most popular music festivals in the Bridport area will not be going ahead this summer.

Jurassic Fields was due to take place at Asker Meadows from Friday, July 9 to Saturday, July 10 but directors have had to make a ‘tough decision’ and postpone the event for the second consecutive year.

The group behind the event cited the uncertainty around the rules on mass gatherings going ahead in the summer as the reason for the cancellation.

A spokesperson for the event said: "With continuing uncertainties around public gatherings and the current road map we have had to make the tough decision to postpone this year's Jurassic Fields Festival.

"Unlike many other events in the country this event is non-profit and relies on many factors to be able to go ahead. The festival HAS always been made possible by the hard work of our amazing team of volunteers and the support of the wider community. With the restrictions we would need to put in place to make the event Covid secure and the additional costs this would create for us it has been a major stumbling block.

"It goes without saying that everyone's personal safety is the primary consideration and has been at the forefront of this decision making process. We also have to consider the pressure that this situation is putting on both business and personal finances, together with concerns over the likely recovery of local tourism which is of course vital to our visitor numbers.

"The financial and safety implications of organising a festival and then cancelling at the last minute compared with postponing much earlier are considerable and therefore we feel that the festival and its long term goals are too important to the area to risk without the certainty that we would be able to go ahead this summer."

The organisers now look forward to the future - and have some big plans for the 2022 Jurassic Fields festival.

The spokesperson added: "At this time we can confirm all announced artists have been rolled over to the 2022 event and the team are working to make sure that when we return is shall be a party that Bridport never forgets.

"We as a country have weathered a long testing year and we hope that soon, when restrictions allow and the time is right we will all be stood shoulder to shoulder with drinks in hands enjoying the beauty of west Dorset and each other's company back at Asker Meadows."