The authority says it was committed to ensuring Splendour was held every year until 2028
George Akins, managing director of DHP Family, says he feels the city council has taken Splendour’s contribution to Nottingham for granted(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
The organisers of Splendour Festival say they believe Nottingham City Council has taken the annual event for granted ahead of its final instalment.
The boss of DHP Family – which has run the iconic festival alongside the city council since its creation in 2008 – says “poor support” from the authority is one of the main factors for the event’s cancellation.
But the city council says it was committed to ensuring Splendour was held every year until 2028 and that the axing of the Wollaton Park festival was a “commercial decision” taken by DHP.
It was announced at the end of June that this year’s instalment of the festival – taking place on Saturday and Sunday (July 18 and 19) – would be the last as the city was urged to come together for “one last hurrah”.
Speaking to the Nottingham Post at Wollaton Park on Friday (July 17) ahead of the weekend, DHP’s managing director George Akins said “there will be a gap” in the city due to Splendour’s cancellation.
When asked if he felt the city council had taken the event’s contribution to Nottingham for granted, Mr Akins replied: “100 percent.
“There are clearly people at the council who are just not aware of the level and risk and the commitment that’s put into this – the level of support has just been really poor.”
Splendour started in Wollaton Park in 2008 as a one-day event but would later grow to a weekend festival, with artists such as Noel Gallagher, Madness, Manic Street Preachers, Anne-Marie, Jess Glynne topping past line-ups.
This year’s event – which is likely to be a bittersweet affair – features acts including Snow Patrol, Primal Scream and Craig David.
Anton Lockwood, DHP’s director of live, said the company is ‘certainly not going to walk away from doing things in Nottingham in the future'(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
Mr Akins said whilst the city council has “not helped”, there are a number of factors that have led to the end of Splendour. This includes the struggle to increase ticket prices whilst keeping the event accessible and a saturation of “filler events” in Nottingham.
DHP also faced well-documented issues with the city council in 2024 when the authority introduced a tendering process which meant the organisers faced competing against other operators to host a festival.
Delays in this process meant DHP had to pull out and the festival was scrapped for the first time (not related to the pandemic) since its inception in 2008.
“If you’re from Strelley or Arnold and you’re in a band and you think ‘how do I get out here and get on the radio’ – it’s things like this that support that vision for those bands,” Mr Akins added.
To encourage as many people as possible to experience the final Splendour, organisers have launched a special two-for-one offer, giving people the opportunity to buy a day ticket and receive another completely free.
More than 150,000 discounted tickets for residents and 30,000 free tickets for children have been given out since the festival began in 2008.
The history of the festival has led to scores of emerging Nottingham artists being showcased, including Jake Bugg, who headlined in 2013 just two years after opening the acoustic courtyard stage.
Anton Lockwood, DHP’s director of live, added: “We put on thousands and thousands of shows every year in Nottingham.
“We’re certainly not going to walk away from doing things in Nottingham in the future and we’re up for having those conversations [with the council] and looking at building more in the future.”
Nottingham-born Saffron Gray is among the local artists who will be playing at the final Splendour(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
Nottingham-born Saffron Gray is among the local artists performing at the final Splendour, having won a competition to play the iconic stage at DHP’s legendary Rock City venue last year.
Ahead of her return to the festival on the Bodega New Music Stage this year, she told the Nottingham Post: “I went to Bilborough College and I would always see the posters and see who was on the line-up.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling – I feel a lot for the artists coming up because there’s possibly a lot of people like myself that have seen Splendour as a goal and for them not to have that be able to have that opportunity, it’s really sad.”
Cllr David Mellen, whose brief on Nottingham City Council covers culture, said: “Splendour has been an important part of Nottingham’s events calendar for many years, and we recognise the enjoyment it has brought to thousands of residents and visitors, as well as its contribution to the city’s cultural offer.
“The Council was committed in working with DHP to deliver the event through to the end of the current contract term in 2028. The decision not to proceed was a commercial decision taken by DHP, for reasons that we respect and understand.
“The Council remains committed to supporting a vibrant programme of events and cultural activity across Nottingham that benefits residents, visitors and local businesses, and we will continue working with all partners to ensure the city remains a fantastic place to live, work and visit.