News / Shambala
Shambala Festival 2021 cancelled
Shambala Festival has been postponed for another year, with organisers saying they are “heartbroken”.
The festival, which normally takes place in a secret location each August, is organised by a team mostly based in Bristol.
Headed by Sidharth Shama, who first came to Bristol to study at university, Shambala is known for its eclectic lineup and inclusive nature.
is needed now More than ever
“We can’t quite believe that we find ourselves writing this once again, but we must now sadly confirm that Shambala will not take place in 2021,” say the Shambala team in a statement on their website.
“We’ve been holding out as long as possible, but the uncertainty of the landscape really leaves us no choice.”
https://twitter.com/ShambalaFest/status/1382288248370835456
The festival received a grant from the government’s Cultural Recovery Fund but aren’t willing to “gamble” the money they have received.
“Whilst we very much hope that the various targets in the roadmap are met and restrictions are lifted in mid-June, there’s still a very real possibility that social distancing measures will still be in place,” the team adds.
“With this in mind, we’ve been engaged in a somewhat nightmarish game of Tetris over the past few months trying to envisage how Shambala could work. The short answer is: it couldn’t. It just wouldn’t be Shambala.
“As ever, a huge thank you to all of you for your support, patience and positivity. We’re so, truly sorry that we won’t be able to welcome you beautiful humans back to our utopia this year but, rest assured, we will be back!”
Shambala has been cancelled for 2021. Photo: George Harrison
Ticket holders will be refunded rather than the tickets being rolled over for another year. Any current tickets will have a ticket reserved to purchase in 2022 before general release, however.
Even though the main festival can’t go ahead, the Bristol-based organisers hope to deliver some “surprises” over the next 12 months.
Camping at the Shambala site is the first of these. A camping weekend with food, music, activities, and more, three camps will take place over July and August 2021.
Main photo: Lindsey Melbourne
Read more: Breakfast with Bristol24/7: Sid Sharma
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