Music
Ian Brown steps down as festival headliner over Covid vaccine dispute
‘I will NEVER sing to a crowd who must be vaccinated as a condition of attendance’
Ian Brown has confirmed he’s stepping down from headlining a festival later this year, saying he ‘refuses to accept vaccination proof as condition of entry’.
The Stone Roses frontman was meant to be headlining this year’s Neighbourhood Weekender festival, a three day event over in Warrington.
The festival announced yesterday, Wednesday March 3rd, that it had been rescheduled, and is now taking place at Victoria Park on the weekend of September 3rd-5th.
It said: “Following the recent government announcement we are moving Neighbourhood Weekender to Friday 3, Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 September 2021.”
Brown was originally meant to be headlining on Saturday, but has now been replaced by James, with the singer sharing the news on his Twitter.
He wrote: “My Saturday night headline show at NHBD Weekender Festival will now not happen! I refuse to accept vaccination proof as condition of entry. Refunds are available!”
Just last week, on February 26th, Brown took to Twitter to say that he would ‘never sing to a crowd who must be vaccinated as a condition of attendance.’
NBHD Weekender also confirmed that Brown would no longer be performing, before telling fans that a decision regarding vaccination passports had not been made yet.
The event added that it would comply with any safety restrictions that are announced by the government.
It said: “We want to assure ticket holders and those about to buy tickets for NBHD Weekender, like all festivals this summer, we will comply with the conditions outlined by the Government through the Local Authority.
“No decisions will be taken by Government until June 21 at the earliest. We are working with other festival organisers and look forward to a safe return to open-air events this summer.”