Towersey Festival to end after six decades

Emerging from its modest beginnings, the event evolved into the UK’s enduring independent festival scene, showcasing emerging music continuously. Established by Denis Manners MBE in 1965, Towersey Festival predates even Glastonbury, enduring through generations of live music.

Regrettably, amidst ongoing financial challenges in the festival industry, the organizers of Towersey Festival have opted to conclude its journey. The upcoming summer will mark its final edition, hosted at the 5,000-capacity Claydon Estate in Buckingham, before the team bids farewell.

Scheduled from August 23rd to 26th, tickets are currently available for purchase.

Festival Co-Directors Mary Hodson and Joe Heap, two of Denis’s grandchildren who now run the event, said:

“Firstly, we want you to know – Towersey 2024 will be one hell of a party! We are excited to bring you our best and most eclectic line-up of artists ever.”

“However, it is with the heaviest of hearts that we also deliver this message. Like so many other independent and grassroots festivals, Towersey is facing the very sad prospect of ending after this year’s festival, our 60th year.”

“We have worked incredibly hard over the last few years to try to bring Towersey back to financial stability. The pandemic wiped all our back up and changed the face of festivals across the industry. Coming back from this and the economic challenges we’ve all felt since then has been all but impossible. Without investment partnerships or a fundamental change to the character of the festival, we have concluded that we will have to bow out after this year.”

“We are proud of what we’ve achieved with Towersey and the massive contributions we’ve made over the years to charities, local causes, tourism, and emerging artists. More importantly, we believe festivals like Towersey are crucial for creating better communities and societies and for finding hope and humanity in an otherwise challenging world.”

“We will continue to fight, and endeavour to find a way of continuing to realise the hopes and dreams of our grandparents and founders, but it will not be through Towersey Festival anymore.”

The move comes as festivals across the UK face unprecedented financial challenges. A recent study showed that 40 festivals have now been cancelled this summer, with a shocking 170 being lost in the past five years.

The final edition of Towersey Festival runs between August 23rd – 26th.