Stripped-down festival for just 20,000 visitors

Aug 10 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

Suggestions for how to celebrate Liverpool's 800th birthday include extending the Mathew Street festival or holding a city parade (200)

THIS year’s Mathew Street Festival will not be the event people “had come to love”, it was claimed last night.

As it was confirmed the event will have no outdoor stages, Liverpool council leader Warren Bradley blamed the fiasco on paid officials and said there had not been the “will” from other agencies to save the full festival.

As expected, there will now be at least 40 indoor venues hosting the bands planned for outdoors. But total capacity will probably reach just 20,000 people, compared to the almost 140,000 expected on Bank Holiday Monday alone. As an internal council investigation continues, the Daily Post can exclusively reveal that senior council officials were aware of serious health and safety problems for the event three weeks before Cllr Bradley claims he was told.

The directors of Cavern City tours expressed their “shock and acute disappointment” at events.

FULL STORY: PAGES 4-5