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Derbyshire festival will not return due to COVID-19 ‘ramifications’

Indietracks festival, held at the Midland Railway in Butterly, Derbyshire, will not be returning after the COVID-19 pandemic has caused “ongoing ramifications” for event organisers. 

The music festival, with its main site located at Swanwick Junction, ran for over 10 years between 2007 and 2019, which proved to be the final time as 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic. 

In a statement, organisers said: “We’re very sad to say that we’re bringing the Indietracks festival to a close. We’ve had over a decade of wonderful memories, and so it’s heartbreaking to let you know that 2019’s festival was our final event. 

“We realise that the festival was very special to many people, and this isn’t a decision that we’ve taken lightly. Thanks so much to everyone who has attended and supported Indietracks – the festival has successfully raised funds for the Midland Railway Trust each year. 

“However, despite significant effort from all concerned, the event has sadly been unsustainable, principally due to the ongoing ramifications of the pandemic.” 

The 2020 edition, before it was cancelled due to COVID-19, was due to be headlined by artists Los Campesinos! and Pip Blom. Over the last decade, the event has held performances by Teenage Fanclub, Cate Le Bon, Kero Kero Bonito, Sea Power, Art Brut and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. 

Organisers added: “There are so many beautiful memories to treasure, including the Martha and the Spook School double-heard, and the closing KKB show in 2019. The beautiful sets in the ever-crowded church; the noisy chaos from the indoor stage; the queue for the train stage; the can crushing; the owls; the bright orange cider; Gopal’s curry shack; campsite discos and Travelodge after-parties. 

“We’ll miss everything. Maybe not the rain, but everything else.” 

Image: Aranxa Esteve on Unsplash