Bestival main area evacuated due to high winds and safety concerns

'Due to current high winds The Castle Stage and Ambient Forest are both temporarily closed'

Bestival (Getty)

Bestival’s main arena has been evacuated due to high winds and safety concerns.

The music festival, now based in Dorset, has been battered by torrential rain for three days running, leading to the festival being swamped in mud.

UPDATE: The main area was reopened, just in time for The Pet Shop Boys' headline performance.

Performances on the main Castle Stage were initially halted according to NME before the main arena was completely evacuated until further notice.

“Due to current high winds and safety of all our festival-goers The Castle Stage and Ambient Forest are both temporarily closed”, Bestival wrote on Twitter.

“We’ll reopen the stages and areas as soon as possible. Due to high winds and for everyone’s safety the main arena is temporarily closed. Please make your way to the campsites until we reopen gates.”

When the main area will reopen remains unknown. The Pet Shop Boys are scheduled to headline the Castle Stage this evening (10 September), The XX and Tribe Called Quest having played the previous two nights.

Bestival previously took place on the Isle of Wight, festival taking place at the Lulworth Estate in Dorset for the first time this year.