Bestival founder Rob da Bank has won a long-standing court case brought against him by TicketLine over an unpaid loan.
Da Bank, whose real name is Robert Gorham, was accused of failing to repay a loan, made to him by UK-based ticket agency TicketLine Network Ltd, to save the ailing festival in 2018.
TicketLine claimed it personally loaned Da Bank and co-event director, John Hughes, about £1m to keep the event going, but he “refused” to pay back about £650,000 of it. In 2018, Bestival struggled financially — and nearly did not go ahead, until being rescued by a cash injection, the court was told.
However, the judge at Central London County Court accepted the DJ’s claim that he had never agreed to a personal loan and should therefore not have to pay it back.
After the judge ruled in the Bestival promoter’s favour, da Bank said, according to the Bournemouth Echo: “Josie and I are so happy and relieved truth and justice have prevailed, and that four years of exhausting legal proceedings are behind us.
“We are so grateful to our incredibly loyal friends and families for keeping us going — and to our legal team of Russell, Sara and Jonathan, for proving our innocence beyond any doubt.
“We are now looking forward to getting back to what matters most to us — our kids and families, messing about with mates in fields and festivals, and launching our brand new Camp Bestival festival in August.”
Bestival was originally held on the Isle of Wight in 2004, and attracted acts such as Elton John and Stevie Wonder, before it relocated to Dorset. This year’s Camp Bestival will be held at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, and at Weston Park in Shropshire.
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