Only one large event to take place at Derry's Ebrington Square this summer
Jika Jika Festival to move to Pennyburn Industrial Estate due to 'circumstances beyond their control' - organisers say
Only one of five summer gigs planned for Derry’s Ebrington Square will now go ahead, it has been confirmed.
Scottish DJ Ewan McVicar and 1970s disco legends Sister Sledge were due to headline the two-day Jika Jika Festival next weekend in Ebrington Square, however the event has now been moved to the venue used to host Fatboy Slim in Pennyburn Industrial Estate last October.
Organisers said that due to circumstances beyond their control, the event had to be moved.
All tickets remain valid for the new venue.
In August, T’Pau and Nik Kershaw will perform in the former military parade ground for a Back to the 80s show.
New arrangements for events at the Ebrington site in 2024 came into effect last year after a dispute when four concerts had their permission withdrawn by The Executive Office (TEO), which owns the site.
That followed a threat of legal action by the Ebrington Hotel. The gigs were then approved after the hotel dropped its objection following a public backlash.
A maximum of five outdoor concerts each year are now allowed under the new arrangements.
Derry City and Strabane District Council now manages the applications of promoters hoping to hold events at the site, while responsibility for event management remains with The Executive Office.
Promoters must also now provide the council with written confirmation of the acts at least six months in advance.
Earlier this month councillors were told one concert planned for this summer would not now proceed because the promoter could not confirm the act.
Another event scheduled for the end of July withdrew due to their own operational reasons and the event at the beginning of August did not respond to any requests for further information, councillors were told.