French music festival Villa Pop has been cancelled at the last minute over concerns about nearby wildfires. Organisers said that the decision was made “due to regulatory reasons which are beyond our control”.
The event had been due to begin yesterday, with performances from Boombass, The Supermen Lovers, Julien Granel and more. However, said a statement to ticketholders, “the risk of fires has increased in the region in recent days, and these security constraints have come to prevent the scheduled progress of our event”.
It said that attempts had been made to find a last minute alternative venue, but this had proven impossible, with nothing suitable available until October. As a result, tickets for this year’s event will now be carried over to August 2023. Refunds are also available.
Extreme heat and droughts in France this summer have led to an increase in wildfires - already more than six times the usual annual average. Areas have been evacuated as firefighters struggle to bring blazes under control.