COVENTRY’s much-loved Godiva Festival has been moved to the end of August.
The event, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has been moved to a later date this summer.
The council, who organise the event, says this is due to new events taking place in Coventry over the summer months.
Festival organisers today announced the event will this year be held in the War Memorial Park from 31 August to 2 September, later than usual.
Godiva was moved after Coventry was chosen as the English host for the BBC’s Biggest Weekend, with Radio 2 and Radio 3 both holding day-long concerts at the Memorial Park.
Big name stars including Paloma Faith, Snow Patrol, Billy Ocean and Nigel Kennedy will be performing in the War Memorial Park in May in front of thousands of fans on the 27 and 28 May.
That would give less than six weeks until the traditional Godiva weekend in July.
Organisers said the park will need time to recover in time for Coventry’s time honoured festival.
The council expressed their excitement for what will be a busy year of events for the newly named UK City of Culture 2021.
Councillor Abdul Khan, deputy leader of Coventry council with responsibility for events, said: “It is going to be another fantastic year for Coventry and we are delighted to have not one, but two, massive festivals for the people of our city to enjoy.
“We know how popular Godiva is in Coventry and how much love and support people have for the event, not to mention all of the economic benefits it brings to Coventry in terms of tourism and thousands of extra visits to the city.
“Being host for the BBC Music concerts is a great coup for the city and it is a sign of things to come.
“Now we have been named UK City of Culture for 2021, we will be hosting more and more events and welcoming thousands of people and there are exciting times ahead.”
The three-day festival has been held in the park since 1998 and has gone from strength to strength – becoming the UK’s biggest free family music festival.
It has more than doubled in size in recent years – going from 85,000 visits in 2010 to the record attendance of 179,000 visits last summer.
The festival also continues to support local music and upcoming artists and features family activities, fun fair rides and lots more.
For more information go to @godivafestival on Twitter and Facebook, or see www.godivafestival.com
