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Traffic chaos continues as festival weekend begins
Traffic chaos continues as festival weekend begins

Yahoo

time4 days ago

  • Yahoo

Traffic chaos continues as festival weekend begins

Drivers are continuing to face delays on the A12 in Suffolk as festival-goers arrive at the Latitude Festival on Saturday. The A12 at Henham, Blytburgh and Wangford is congested as thousands arrive by car at the Latitude festival. Delays begin on the A12 at Barnaby Green, just before the Norfolk Road turn off at Wangford, and extend down to Blythburgh. Suffolk police advised visitors to "allow plenty of time" for their journeys. The roads surrounding the festival look to be clear on the traffic sensors, but delays are building from Friday Street to Benhall, and Curlew Green to High Street. Road closures are in place from 6am until 9pm on Southwold Road, the A12 by Blythburgh, Station Road, Henham Green, Manor Farm Road and The Hills. Temporary traffic lights are also in place around the festival to control the flow of vehicles, with roads in the surrounding villages being for access only.

Deflated families brand balloon festival a 'rip-off' after £20-a-head event
Deflated families brand balloon festival a 'rip-off' after £20-a-head event

Daily Mail​

time6 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mail​

Deflated families brand balloon festival a 'rip-off' after £20-a-head event

Deflated families have criticised a 'rip-off' balloon festival after shelling out £20-a-head for the event. The Balloons and Tunes festival promises to offer 'high-quality events' which 'showcase a vibrant mix of attractions', including 'spectacular Hot Air Balloon shows', but has received mixed reviews. Founded in 2012 and dubbed 'the UK's Freshest Hot Air Balloon & Music festival', the festival takes place across multiple cities across Britain from June to September and is set to be attended by hundreds of eager festivalgoers.. However, some visitors to the often sold-out festival have been left far from impressed and are even demanding a refund, with one grandmother branding the £20-a-head spectacle a 'rip-off' and an 'insult' to other balloon shows. Meanwhile another festivalgoer said that despite being the main event, the balloons were unable to be inflated when they attended due to the 'warm and sunny' weather. Carole Rabbetts, 75, said that her grandchildren had been left deeply 'upset at the lack of balloons', with just two balloons inflated during the afternoon in Romsey, Hampshire on July 19.. While other balloons were later inflated, the family had to leave and missed the delayed spectacle, leaving the grandmother feeling she had been shortchanged. Adding that the sold-out festival was as an 'insult to the people who do it properly', she said: 'It was supposed to be a balloon festival, and when we went there, there were only two balloons. 'And one of them was only inflated about 20 minutes before we left, about 4.30-5pm. 'You get other festivals where there are hundreds of hot air balloons and it is free to go and see them.' Ms Rabbetts, who also described the food as 'absolutely disgusting' and 'costing the earth', further remarked: 'I don't think I've ever paid to go into a funfair. It was £20 to go into a funfair - that is a rip-off. 'My son had one of their hot dogs, which cost him the earth, and he said, 'Mum, this is foul. I'm only eating it because I'm hungry, but in other circumstances, I would have thrown it in the bin!' Due to her poor experience and what she described as 'absolutely pathetic' stunt shows, Ms Rabbetts said that she would not be attending the event next year. Meanwhile, other disappointed festivalgoers took to Facebook to express their similar outrage at the 'awful event'. One commenter described there being a significant queue to get 'WARM' drinks', while also further claiming that two deflated balloons were not used due to the weather. Another furious Facebook user said that while they had initially been 'really looking forward' to the event, the fireworks and balloon rides had since been cancelled due to winds above 10mph, with no refunds on offer. On July 4, the festival announced that the event, then hosted in Cornwall, had been forced to cancel their fireworks display that the had been advertising for several months prior to the sold-out event. Despite complaints from punters, Balloons and Tunes UK said in the comments of a Facebook post on the day of the event that it did not have the licence to display the fireworks. Other attendees to the Romsey event said that the name of the festival had been deceptive, with there a 'huge feeling of being ripped off' as a result. One commenter said: 'Balloons were half an hour later than advertised, and my daughter was shattered, so we had to leave after five minutes'. Another also expressed their fury by adding that there were 'hardly any tunes and no balloons' and that the event had been 'so unorganised it was embarrassing'. As a result of their negative experience, they branded the festival 'a complete joke', while one unhappy visitor said they had been 'left disappointed' by the 'overpriced' event that was a 'waste of money'. Previous attendees have also raised complaints about the significant cost of parking and 'extortionate' food and drink prices. Despite the bouts of negative feedback, one local resident from the small town of Romsey described the unique launching of the balloons as 'a spectacle not seen in the town for some time'. Meanwhile, another individual who had attended the Cornwall event wrote: 'Had a wonderful day. Was gutted the weather meant balloons couldn't go up but safety first, typical Cornish drizzle all day but has a wonderful family day out! Will be going again.' Others also expressed sympathy for the festival, adding that 'unfortunately, they can't control the weather for the balloons to go up', but they had been appreciative of the staff 'making the effort with a fire show at the end of the night'. Another visitor to the Cornwall event spoke favourably of their experience, stating: 'Had a great evening, we arrived later on because of the weather forecast but the rain held off most of the evening. 'The monster truck show was cut short and balloons couldn't fly, both due to weather, but the music was fantastic and we had great food and danced. We will be back for the balloons next year.' On their website, Balloons and Tunes state that 'ballooning is a wholly weather dependent activity', adding that 'if the weather is not suitable, they may not be able to inflate properly or safely take off'. Last July, the inaugural Northumberland Balloon Festival failed to take off with visitors calling it 'atrocious', 'comical' and a rip-off. Described as the UK's largest Hot Air Balloon Festival, it promised up to 25 balloons for Saturday night's 'big balloon launch' and huge tethered balloons for photo opportunities throughout the three-day festival. However, visitors instead said that they arrived at Tynedale Rugby Club in Corbridge to find just four hot-air balloons in a muddy field and an Elton John tribute act singing Status Quo. One visitor even compared it to 'Potter's Pink Palace' from Phoenix nights. The festival, organised by Richardson's Amusements LTD and involving Exclusive Ballooning, was been slammed as a rip-off, with families complaining a lack of communication. The event was been likened to a 'funfair with a few balloons tacked on at the end of the day,' rather than a balloon festival, with hundreds of comments on the event's Facebook page calling for refunds on the £15 tickets removed. A post on the Northumberland Balloon Festival Facebook page said: 'The heavy rain overnight causing wet ground conditions combined with some forecast potential drizzle during flying time this evening means we don't expect to be flying this evening. 'However, the teams on site are confident that the shelter on the launch site will allow us to inflate balloons throughout the afternoon. We have a number of SkySafari unique animal balloons on site and all of these are scheduled to make an appearance at some point today. 'These include Puddles and Splash the famous penguins along with Tall Steve, the world's tallest penguin. We also have the Wallace and Gromit Moon Rocket here with us which will be out at some point. Finally, if conditions allow, we have a surprise balloon to inflate just in time for the football which is on the big screen.'

Tomorrowland festival in ‘race against time' to open after fire destroys stage
Tomorrowland festival in ‘race against time' to open after fire destroys stage

Telegraph

time17-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Telegraph

Tomorrowland festival in ‘race against time' to open after fire destroys stage

One of the world's largest dance parties will go ahead on Friday without its famous main stage after it was destroyed by fire. More than 400,000 people are set to descend on the town of Boom, in Belgium, for the Tomorrowland festival which has come to be internationally renowned as much for its elaborate stage designs as its headline acts. Fans have paid up to £5000 for the multi-day event where some of the biggest names in the electronic music scene — including David Guetta — were expected to perform in a 'magical universe made entirely out of ice'. A sound and light stage show was meant to symbolise melting glaciers that revealed 'a unique source of light, energy, and power that originates from powerful, red-coloured crystals and rocks'. But the plans were thrown into chaos on Wednesday night as a fire broke out while staff were reportedly testing a firework cannon that would have been used during the performance. Tomorrowland promoters said in a statement that the 'beloved' art installation was severely damaged. 'It's impossible to put into words what we're feeling,' they said. 'This wasn't just a stage. It was a living, breathing world.' Images shared on local news sites and social media showed flames and plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland. No one was injured during the fire and the festival's 14 smaller stages were undamaged. Tens of thousands of festival-goers set up tents in the campsite on Thursday despite uncertainty over the event plans, while other devastated ticket-holders demanded refunds. Tomorrowland organisers outlined two scenarios for the music performances as they promised to find 'possible solutions'. 'It's a race against time, but we're doing this together with the best and most amazing people in the world,' they said in a statement published on the event's website on Thursday evening. 'What we can confirm is that we will be able to welcome everyone tomorrow.' If the burnt structure can be safely secured and a new stage set up overnight, the festival grounds may open as planned on Friday afternoon. 'If we are unable to open at full visitor capacity, DreamVille [the campsite] and the festival grounds will function as two separate areas on Friday to ensure the safety of all guests,' the festival organisers said. Debby Wilmsen, the Tomorrowland spokeswoman, said staff were 'devastated' but that 'we're going to keep going, we're going 100 percent'. 'We can also throw a party without a main stage,' Ms Wilmsen said. The fire on Wednesday night was not the first time Tomorrowland has been impacted by fire. In 2018 when the festival held a special event in Spain, a crowd of 22,000 people was evacuated after a stage was engulfed in flames. Fans fled in terror as the inferno took hold, sending smoke billowing into the sky as the massive speaker system caught fire.

Tomorrowland chaos after huge fire breaks out on main stage a DAY before festival is due to start
Tomorrowland chaos after huge fire breaks out on main stage a DAY before festival is due to start

The Sun

time16-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • The Sun

Tomorrowland chaos after huge fire breaks out on main stage a DAY before festival is due to start

A DEVASTATING fire has engulfed the main stage at one of Europe's biggest music festivals. A frantic operation has been launched to deal with the towering inferno which has taken over Tomorrowland in Belgium. 1 The major festival is due to begin on Friday - leaving organisers little time to repair the severely damaged stage. Around 400,000 festival goers from across the globe are expected to attend across two weekends. No members of public were inside the festival grounds at the time but around 1,000 staff members were working at the site. .

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