Bestival 2019 not going ahead in wake of Louella Michie death

Dorset Police told there are 'no plans' for event to be held this year

Bestival music festival will not be returning for 2019, police have been told.

In the wake of the death of Louella Fletcher-Michie, daughter of Holby City actor John Michie, Dorset Police said it was told there were “no plans” for it to be held this year.

The popular festival, which has run for the last 15 years, has racked up vast debt despite attracting more than 50,000 people last year.

Fletcher-Michie attended Bestival in 2017 and died an hour before her 25th birthday after taking the hallucinogenic drug 2-CP.

Her boyfriend Ceon Broughton, 30, was found guilty of manslaughter after he “bumped up” her dose of the party drug then filmed her as she suffered an extreme reaction.

It is not known whether Fletcher-Michie’s death had any role in the decision, but Dorset police said they were informed “some time ago”.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “The payment of our 2018 policing services invoice, totalling £141,176, to cover our policing of both Camp Bestival and Bestival is still outstanding and we’ve not received any full or part payment towards this.

“Some time ago, we were informed by the new event owners that there are no plans to run a Bestival 2019 event.

“We are working with colleagues at Purbeck District Council as well as other members of the Safety Advisory Group and any decisions around the policing and security of Camp Bestival 2019 have yet to be made.”

Camp Bestival, the sister festival to Bestival, is going ahead this year at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, in July, with Nile Rodgers and Jess Glynne among confirmed performers.

Additional reporting from agencies