Sunrise Celebration has been cancelled

United Kingdom | | 30 May 2008

Sunrise Celebration has become the first festival to be cancelled this year due to adverse weather.

Freak rain hit the Somerset area last night preventing festival-goers from entering the site, but continued heavy rainfall left organisers with no other choice but to call off the event.

An offical statement on the festival's website reads: "Due to severe weather conditions in the Somerset area, Sunrise 2008 has been officially postponed till 2009.

"We're definitely going to go for it again as soon as we can and we are determined to honour every ticket that we have sold. Thank you for your patience, support and understanding."

Local areas Crewkerne, Ilminster, Shepton Mallett and Wells were most badly affected by the weather, with houses evacuated and sandbags deployed in some areas.

At the height of the flash flooding, it's reported that the fire service was receiving a call every three seconds, with the Royal Bath & West Showground, at Shepton Mallett, also severely hit.

This morning Bruce Elliot-Smith from Sunrise Celebration told us: "It's just a nightmare down here at the moment. Every time we try to let people in – it rains.

"The flooding is so bad in places that worried about the safety of small children and things like that."

The Orb, Annie Nightingale, Dub Pistols and The Beat were all lined up to perform at this year's event.