A local festival company has gone into liquidation meaning the end to two popular summer music events near Swanage in Dorset.
The Wilkswood Reggae Festival company has become the latest victim of a 12 month nightmare for the UK festival scene, which saw more than 60 events cancelled in 2024, thanks to a depressed economy, rising costs, and a cold and wet summer.
Wilkswood Farm became a shopping village for music lovers every summer
Best small festival on the reggae circuit
The Wilkswood Reggae Festival, which was due to take place between Thursday 24th and Sunday 27th July 2025, and the Jurassic Dance Festival, which would also have been held at Wilkswood Farm near Swanage from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st August 2025 have now been cancelled.
Some 3,000 people were expected to have attended each event, which had up to 50 acts scheduled to take part.
All festival ticket holders have been sent an official notice on how to reclaim their money by Bailey Ahmad Business Recovery, which has been instructed to put Wilkswood Reggae Festival into liquidation.
Wilkswood Reggae Festival, which was founded in 2016 as a family friendly event on the 600 acre farm at Langton Matravers, said at the time that it aimed to spread some ‘cross cultural, pan generational harmony’.
From small beginnings, it grew to attract around 3,000 visitors a year and won itself the nickname ‘Notting Hill by the Sea’, praised as the best small festival on the reggae circuit, and pulling in some top groups to perform.
Reggae festival artwork will have to be disposed of after the company went into liquidation
“Must serve formal notice of cancellation”
And in 2023 it was joined on Wilkswood Farm by the Jurassic Dance Festival of Nineties and Noughties club music, appealing to couples in their 40s with children and again putting an emphasis on being family friendly.
Organiser Dave Mountjoy, who has now moved to Yorkshire, was unavailable for comment, although a statement released by the festival company on Tuesday 18th March 2025 said:
“It is with deep regret that we must announce that due to the current financial position of the company, we have made the difficult decision to place the company into creditors’ voluntary liquidation.
“As a result, the company is unable to proceed with either of the planned festivals, and we must serve formal notice of the cancellation of both events.”
The summer reggae festivals at Wilkswood pulled in around 3,000 festival goers
“We will miss these events”
Swanage Town Council visitor services and business development manager Culvin Milmer said:
“It is a shame – Wilkswood was a great event, although I think visitors tended to bring their food with them or eat on site, stay at the festival site, then go back home and didn’t have much of an impact on the town.
“But what Purbeck does well is to offer a wide range of music genres to audiences, so people who attend events here, even if they don’t necessarily visit Swanage, do tend to hear about our other festivals and may come back for future holidays.
“We host amazing jazz, blues and folk festivals which draw huge crowds and have a great reputation across England.
“Although reggae and dance are quite niche they are both alternative genres of music, and we will miss these events in presenting Purbeck as a destination for music lovers.”
Music festivals on the farm won’t be happening in 2025
“A huge hole for those who enjoy reggae”
Regular festivalgoer Richard Gorman said:
“I’m gutted that the event has been cancelled and feel for the organisers. It has been a staple in our calendar for a number of years.
“It was easily my favourite festival. They did everything really well, almost the complete opposite of One Love if I’m honest. I hope the people behind it come back in the future because they’ll have my support.
“It’s such a friendly festival, in a beautiful setting, and leaves a large hole for those who enjoy reggae music in a non-corporate event. Wilkswood festival will be sorely missed.”
Wilkswood Reggae Festival was the brainchild of Dubwood Productions, a joint collaboration with the Scott Arms in Kingston and members of Dubheart, Bournemouth’s own international reggae stars.
The family friendly festival at Wilkswood combined entertainment for children with great music
“Festivals had a bad year in 2024”
One member of the Dubheart community, John Mead, said:
“This is a sad loss of a festival with a great family vibe. Organisers and volunteers made it a success, but it seems just like making it work financially is particularly difficult and another great event has been lost in the UK.
“Festivals had a bad year in 2024, and saw a massive explosion in costs that wasn’t matched by a corresponding increase in numbers attending, not helped by the terrible weather which put people off booking last minute tickets.
“But Wilkswood had a lot of praise in the reggae world for putting on good acts with great sound systems and making sure that it provided something for the whole family.
“It was nice that the festival’s main stages were under cover, so the music could always carry on if there was rain, and the organisers set up a field and woodland clearing for kids, with storytelling and music sessions. It will be sorely missed.”
More than 60 UK music festivals like Wilkswood have been postponed, cancelled or closed in the last year
“Challenges that few saw coming”
More than 60 UK music festivals announced a postponement, cancellation or complete closure in 2024, a number which is expected to reach 100 by the start of the 2025 season.
Basingstoke’s Cosmic Roots Festival and Gloucester’s Witcombe Festival were among the largest casualties, putting the decision to cancel down to unpredictable ticket sales, a rise in production costs and the cost of living crisis.
A spokesperson for the Association of Independent Festivals said:
“The pressure on independently funded festivals is simply too great – 2024 was a tough year for the festival industry, with challenges that few of us saw coming. The shifting landscape was incredibly difficult to navigate, and 2025 is unlikely to be much better.”
Further information
- The full liquidation statement for Wilkswood Reggae Festival is on its website
- Swanage Blues Festival, Folk Festival and Jazz Festival are alternatives for 2025
