Hartlepool’s Wintertide Festival cancelled as severe weather warning issued for town

The festival would have seen a number of landmarks on the Headland illuminated in bright colours.

Event organisers announced on Friday, November 26, that they have made “the difficult decision” to cancel the Wintertide Festival due to the expected severe weather.

It comes as the Met Office issued a rare Red weather warning for wind for Hartlepool.

The warning is in place from 3pm on Friday, November 26 until 2am on Saturday, November 27, with high winds of up to 70 mph brought by Storm Arwen set to hit the town and other coastal areas in the North East.

Wintertide Festival organisers said in a statement that the weather is “particularly dangerous” and the safety of visitors and staff is a priority.

It said: “In the Interest of Public Safety Headland Festival Group have made the difficult decision to cancel Wintertide Festival due to the severe weather warning.

"This weather is particularly dangerous and the safety of our visitors, suppliers, volunteers and staff will always take priority.

"We have taken the advice of experts, monitored the weather and acted accordingly, therefore Wintertide Festival 2021 will not go ahead this year.”

The festival was initially meant to take place at the Headland from Friday, November 26, to Sunday, November 28.

On Tuesday, organisers announced that the outdoors programme of the event had been scaled back because of the predicted bad weather, before cancelling the festival altogether three days later.

Organisers have added that calling off the event has been “devastating”.

Their statement added: “Thank you so much for your continued support. For our small team of volunteers this is devastating.”

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