Live Nation plan to host GuilFest replacement

Get Surrey, (here), are reporting that promoters Live Nation are planning to host a new music festival to replace the family friendly GuilFest whose organisers, Scotty Events Ltd, went into liquidation in 2012.

Guildford Borough Council has previously said it wants to see a family festival in the town in 2013, after the GuilFest company run by Tony Scott ceased trading late last year with debts of around £300,000.

The newspaper reports that Live Nation met with Guildford Borough Council late last year and a date for the two-day event has now been set for Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July 2013.

The new festival will it claims take place at Stoke Park which is the same site GuilFest occupied and hopes to foster a family-friendly atmosphere with two stages of music entertainment, stalls and food tents.

Live Nation also organise T in the Park, Download, Wireless, Creamfields, Hard Rock Calling festivals. They have entered into a joint venture with Angel Music Group to run Global Gathering, and they have a controlling stake in Festival Republic (formerly Mean Fiddler) who are involved in the running Reading and Leeds Festivals, and Latitude. Back in 2008 Live Nation's major rivals AEG Live attempted to replace the event ( here) but were unsuccessful.

The entertainment company say they are organising, what they hope will an annual event, on behalf of an unnamed sponsor. A formal announcement is expected to be made next week, along with details of headline acts booked to appear at the festival, and tickets are expected to go on sale next Friday, 1st March.

One of the older events, Guildford Live was re-named GuilFest in 2002 and has each year offered a multitude of different musical styles with classic and modern acts, plus entertainment, children's area, art and crafts, and a truly festive atmosphere.

It had been one of eFestivals favourite festivals, and one that we've sponsored since 2002. Organiser Tony Scott told eFestivals that he hopes to bring back the event or another similar one to the area in the future.

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