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African festival allowed to proceed after safety failures cancelled event

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 06:15 · Archive

The iZambezi Festival in Wiltshire has been permitted to go ahead after its organiser convinced councillors not to revoke its licence.

The iZambezi Festival, celebrating South African music and culture, has been permitted to proceed after its organiser convinced Wiltshire councillors not to revoke its licence following a cancellation in August.

Chenai Chiwara, the festival's organiser, admitted at a licensing hearing that he had never organised a festival before securing permission for the event at Charlton Park near Malmesbury. The festival was due to take place on 15 August but was cancelled after a catalogue of health and safety failures emerged just weeks before. Wiltshire Council issued a prohibition notice, and Wiltshire Police subsequently applied for the licence to be reviewed and potentially revoked.

The hearing was told that in May the festival had been granted a premises licence for a 5,000-capacity event in 2026, with permission for larger events in 2027 and 2028, eventually rising to nearly 15,000 attendees. However, the licence required organisers to have detailed safety and management plans in place. A meeting two weeks before the festival involving organisers, Wiltshire Council, Wiltshire Police, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and South Western Ambulance Service revealed that key arrangements had not been completed.

Mr Chiwara told the hearing he had suffered heavy financial losses after the cancellation. "We have lost a lot of money, a substantial amount of lifetime savings," he said. He had also been forced to refund flights for international performers. He admitted that despite only around 100 tickets having been sold, organisers had anticipated attendance of between 2,500 and 3,000 people.

African festival allowed to proceed after safety failures cancelled event
Image: Gazette & Herald

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How it is being reported

In this story: iZambezi Festival · Chenai Chiwara · Wiltshire · Charlton Park · Malmesbury · Wiltshire Council · Wiltshire Police

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