Cider festival headlined by Dizzee Rascal accused of ‘running out of cider’, offers disgruntled guests 20% off tickets next year

The organisers of a cider festival featuring Dizzee Rascal as a headliner have denied claims the event was an “utter shambles” that ran out of cider.

Guests at the Witcombe Cider Festival in Brockworth, Gloucestershire took to social media to vent over a “complete lack of management” over the weekend-long event, which also included sets from artists Dizzee Rascal and Sub Focus.

The festival has been running since 2012. It welcomes around 10,000 guests each year, showcasing around 50 ciders and national artists, according to the event’s website.

Queues over an hour at the bars on Saturday….shitcombe sober festival #WitcombeCiderFestival

— he_devil (@he__devil) August 25, 2019

However, many have said they will never return to the Witcome Cider festival after suffering hour-long queues in record high temperatures, claiming the bars themselves ran out of cider.

One attendee complained that the festival had “p*ss poor organisation and “shocking security.”

“This not a cider festival.”

Can’t begin to imagine how many £££’s Witcombe Cider Festival missed out on… 90 minute queues to get a pint 😂

— Sam Benjamin (@SjBenjamin1) August 26, 2019

Another said they spent “more time queuing” than enjoying the event.

One woman told Gloucestershire Live that this year’s event, which ran from 23 to 25 August, was an “awful experience”.

Piss poor organisation, shocking security, so many drugs and fights this not a cider festival . #WitcombeCiderFestival

— ian baller (@baller_ian) August 26, 2019

“People were fainting in the queues because of the heat – there was just no organisation,” she said, adding that the bars were “constantly” running out of cider.

Andrew Costello also told the website punters endured long queues in the heat, while the bars ran low on supplies.

Worst festival.. fights, drugs, men hitting women, 1hour queues for a pint and staff who didn’t care… @TewkesburyBCgov @TewksPolice where were you?? #WitcombeCiderFestival @JoePointonCider

— SBee (@sarebeez) August 26, 2019

“We queued for an hour for drinks and tried to make them last as long as possible,” he said.

“But it was so hot that after half an hour we had to get another.

“By the time we reached the bar again they told us they were out of plastic cups and all they had were little bottles of wine.”

Another attendee called the event a “complete shambles.”

“I waited over an hour at bars yesterday and there were people passing out in the heat.”

One festival-goer, who went with seven members of her family, said the event ran out of cider as it got “busier and busier.”

“They class themselves as a cider festival but they only had three types of cider.

“We paid all that money for this – you do not expect to wait two hours in the heat for a drink.”

When contacted by the drinks business, a spokesperson said: “We can 100% confirm the festival did not run out of cider.”

WITCOMBE CIDER FESTIVAL fully acknowledges and apologies profusely for the delays at bars yesterday.
We can assure you that the organisers and management team have been working tirelessly throughout the night and have taken measures to ensure that these issues are…. (1/3)

— Witcombe Cider Fest (@WitCiderFest) August 25, 2019

Joe Pointon, the founder of the festival, told db that the long queues only affected attendees on the Saturday of the event, and “changes were made over night to eliminate bar queues on Sunday.”

He also said there were “50 different varieties of cider on site”, including a wide range of brands owned by Herefordshire producer Weston’s Cider, as well as “all local Gloucestershire cider makers.”

The real problem, Pointin said, was “we just couldn’t pour quick enough.”

Pointon added that “these queues won’t be happening next year,” and that he would offer “dismayed customers” a 20% discount on tickets to Witcombe Cider Festival 2020.

“Until the event happens you don’t know what sort of problems you’re going to come up against,” he told db.

“We were advised the pouring systems we used were going to be enough, but evidently that wasn’t the case.”

Pointin said he and the team had a “two-hour long meeting in the early hours of this morning to improve on everything.

“We got more staff, made sure we had enough of everything, and we pre-poured a lot as well on the Sunday.”

“Our bar staff are exceptional, they work completely flat-out.”

What a night!! We had the best night @witcombeciderfestival dancing and singing to @4PlanB like old times and then getting our absolute sweaty rave on in the big top to @thestickmenofficial #stillgotit🕺🏾 pic.twitter.com/LGJzGN0UwJ

— Sally Gillespie (@sallylgillespie) August 25, 2019

Despite many attendees complaining about long queues on the Saturday, many said the event ran more smoothly on Sunday.