Understand
Malmesbury festival organiser given second chance after licence review
Overview
The organiser of the iZambezi Festival at Charlton Park has avoided having its licence revoked by Wiltshire Council after the initial August event was cancelled due to health and safety failures. Instead of revocation, the council imposed strict new conditions, including submitting an event management plan 180 days in advance, appointing an experienced event manager, and reducing the licence term to two years with a 5,000 capacity for 2027.
Key points
- The iZambezi Festival was cancelled prior to its 15 August event due to health and safety failures and incomplete arrangements.
- Organiser Chenai Chiwara admitted to missing document deadlines and stated the cancellation cost him a substantial amount of lifetime savings.
- Wiltshire Council's licensing committee decided not to revoke the licence, choosing to impose strict new conditions instead.
- New conditions require organisers to submit an initial event management plan 180 days in advance, hire an experienced event manager, and contract key suppliers 60 days before the festival.
- The licence term was reduced from three years to two, with a permitted capacity of 5,000 for 2027.