ATP’s two most recent festivals are scheduled to take place in April, with comedian Stewart Lee curating the lineup from April 15-17 and post-hardcore band Drive Like Jehu taking the reins from April 22-24.
When Pontins appeared to be selling standard family breaks on its website on the weekends that the festival was originally slated to take place, a Twitter user emailed the resort pointing out the error and received a reply informing them that both events had been cancelled. Pontins confirmed the cancellation to music sites The Line of Best Fit and The Quietus.
However, ATP are denying that the festivals have been cancelled. “We have just spoken to Pontins and we're currently resolving this miscommunication,” the festival said in a statement, “Our events are going ahead as planned.”
Fans are understandably anxious about any news of a possible cancellation: last year’s Jabberwocky festival, originally set to take place at the ExCel Centre in London, was axed with just three days notice, with the organisers blaming the cancellation on poor ticket sales. And in January this year, Private Eye investigated the promoter’s complicated financial situation, reporting that there were no refund provisions in place for ticket holders if future events are cancelled.
ATP have been hosting their weekend-long, artist-curated festivals for 14 years, with past editions featuring lineups selected by artists like My Bloody Valentine, Belle & Sebastian, and Animal Collective. In 2013 the promoters ended their holiday camp festivals in favour of smaller events, but rebooted the weekenders last year with a Christmas edition hosted by artists Jake and Dinos Chapman.
