Dance festival blocked as music 'form of torture'

A dance music festival will not go ahead this year after complaints of heavy bass causing "a form of torture" to residents.

Organisers of Goa Cream Festival hoped to hold the event for the third year running at Yewtree Farm, near Thornbury, from 12 September to 14 September.

But South Gloucestershire councillors refused the festival's bid on 8 April after feedback from Avon and Somerset Police and the council's environmental health team.

A local resident who filed a complaint to police after the event last year said in a letter: "It was non-stop heavy bass music; it was almost inhumane and a form of torture".

Environmental health officer Florence Fisher told the council meeting last year's festival sparked 11 complaints from locals, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

One complainant said it gave them a headache all weekend, and others stated the music made their houses and windows shake.

Goa Cream organiser Piers Ciappara told the meeting they did their own noise monitoring in 2024 but had now contracted a professional sound acoustic engineer.

The festival raises money for Bristol Suicide Prevention and Sharpness lifeboat station and attracted a mature audience with an average age over 40, with many bringing their children, Mr Ciappara said.

However Ms Fisher said environmental health was given only "numbers scribbled on pieces of paper" and insufficient screenshots of the equipment's readings.

Police licensing officer Wes Hussey read out a complaint from a neighbour, which said the extremely loud noise had a "profound effect" on him and his family.

He added the proposed times for music and alcohol sales could lead to confrontation.

Mr Ciappara said the speakers were directed towards the M5 and A38 last year, adding they could be reoriented to point further away from homes and they would reduce alcohol sales times if the application was approved.

He said: "Last year we only had handwritten notes and photographs because the week after the event my colleague who had the sound system had a bad accident.

"He nearly chopped his hand off cutting the grass so he couldn't put a spreadsheet together – but this year we have a professional team with us."

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