The festival was established in 2004 and over the years, has seen performances from The Charlatans, James, The Fratellis, Supergrass, The Levellers, and The Proclaimers
The company behind a UK music festival has gone bust following “significant challenges”.
Solfest is a music and arts festival that was held on the Solway coast near Silloth, in Cumbria. It was established in 2004 and over the years, has seen performances from The Charlatans, James, The Fratellis, Supergrass, The Levellers, and The Proclaimers.
The festival last took place in August 2025 with headliners The Doves and Leftfield, but now, the organisers behind Solfest have confirmed that the company is going into liquidation.
It is not yet clear what will happen to those who have purchased tickets for Solfest 2026, which was scheduled to take place August 27 to 30. Tickets for the 2026 festival went on sale in September.
Solfest has faced issues in the past and was cancelled in 2014 due to financial struggles. Organisers had also previously warned in 2018 and 2019 that the festival may be pulled permanently.
In a new statement released this week, the company said its liquidation was down to multiple factors, including bad weather, debts and declining ticket sales.
Read the Solfest statement in full
The organisers said in a statement: “After more than 20 years as one of the UK’s most established family festivals, the organisers of Solfest have taken the difficult decision to place the company into liquidation.
“This decision follows a series of significant challenges, many of which were outside the control of the festival team. In the run-up to and during the 2024 event, Cumbria experienced some of the most severe summer weather on record.
“Despite extensive preparation and the efforts of staff, volunteers and partners, the conditions led to cancelled or rescheduled performances and reduced attendance, as many ticket-holders were unable to attend or left early, resulting in a substantial financial impact.
“These losses were compounded by wider pressures facing the live events industry, including rising infrastructure, production, staffing and safety costs, alongside declining ticket sales linked to the ongoing cost of living crisis. Like many independent festivals, Solfest has been operating in an increasingly challenging environment.
“In addition, historical debts – which had been carefully managed over time – were significantly exacerbated by these setbacks, placing the company under unsustainable financial pressure.
“Despite every effort to recover, the combined impact of these factors has made it impossible for the business to continue trading in its current form.
“The organisers would like to sincerely apologise to everyone affected by this decision, including ticket-holders, artists, traders, suppliers, staff, volunteers and the local community. This has not been an easy decision, and it is deeply regretted.
“We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to Solfest over the past two decades: from audiences and performers to crew, volunteers, partners and supporters.
“Solfest has always been built on community, and we are incredibly proud of what has been created together over the years. The organisers understand how upsetting this news will be for audiences, artists, traders, staff and the wider community.
“Further updates will be shared as soon as more information becomes available.”
