A Leicestershire village is “buzzing” with excitement for this year’s Download Festival, but concerns have been raised the event has resulted in fewer revellers shopping locally due to bigger chains arriving in the area.
Download Festival, now in its 24th year, has become an annual tradition for many music fans, with around 100,000 attendees expected to take part in this year’s event, which runs from Friday, June 12 until Sunday, June 14.
The festival, which will be headlined by big names including Guns N’ Roses and Linkin Park, takes place in Donington Park every year and has previously served as an economic boost for the village of Castle Donington.
However, businesses in the village said that in recent years they have seen a steep decline in festival-goers visiting the area, after the Co-op and Sainsbury’s supermarkets were built closer to the festival site.
Speaking about the festival, Kate Bryce, owner of Tyler’s Tearooms, located in the heart of Castle Donington, said: “Living in this village, you kind of have to like planes and rock music, that’s just how it goes.
Kate (middle) said the village loves when the festival is in the area(Image: Leicester Mercury)
“Many years ago, the village used to be heaving and buzzing from the festival.
“The whole area would be packed with those attending. It’s the one weekend a year we look forward to the most.
“This village loves Download Festival and the people that come with it. It’s just the best.”
However, the arrival of the Co-op and Sainsbury’s has seen a drop in festival attendees visiting the village.
Ms Bryce, 50, said: “Unfortunately, people who go to the festival are less inclined to visit us, as they’ve now got supermarkets and everything they need at the festival site, which has hurt us a lot.
“Nowhere near as many people still tend to come down this way. If we could just get one per cent of the attendees visiting us here, that would be fantastic and a win-win for everyone.
“Plus, you have this double whammy issue where locals will stay in during the festival because they think the high street will be packed but then festival goers don’t come too, so the area can get very dead.”
In the run-up to this year’s festival, major traffic disruption warnings have been put in place, with East Midlands Airport warning travellers that the area will be much busier than usual.
Borough Street is one of the main roads in the village(Image: Leicester Mercury)
Responding to the traffic fears, Kate said: “Any traffic chaos that comes with the festival is made worth it because of the increased number of people we get in the area.
“Those who say every time the festival is in town it causes trouble are talking rubbish.”
Other businesses in Castle Donington also disagreed with the traffic disruption warnings, which they believe are in place because of issues caused during the festival’s 20th anniversary, which saw campers queueing outside of Donington Park and traffic building up into the village.
Neilly Henderson, owner of Strawberry House, in Borough Street, said: “My kids go it, my father is coming up to go to it, so I only have good things to say about the festival.
“There was one year where the traffic was chaos but since then it’s been absolutely fine. There is a little bit of disruption that comes with the festival but as locals we know when it’s on and it’s only for one weekend so it’s not the worst.”
Neilly Henderson outside her business in Castle Donington(Image: Leicester Mercury)
The 58-year-old also referred to the decrease in footfall compared to previous years, saying: “The only shame about it, is that we used to get a lot more traffic from it.
“Back in the day you knew the festival was here because crowds of people would visit the Coop and stock up on alcohol but now that they have supermarkets built next to the site, we no longer get those people here.
“Download Festival has become too independent and self-sufficient. It would be great if the attendees were encouraged to come into the village more.”
For some, the excitement that comes with the festival has decreased in recent years, as Gina Whiteing, 45, owner of BenaBerry’s Craftea Cafe, said: “I don’t look forward to it as much as I used to because we get less people visiting us.
“It used to be one of the main events of the year, everyone would look forward to how busy the village would get. There would be taxis waiting outside the Co-op to take people up and down and even do special lower fares for them but that’s all gone now.
“It’s nothing like what it used to be, it has dropped off massively.”
Despite the drop in footfall, the village was still very glad to have the festival take place so close to its roots.
Tilly said she is glad the festival puts the village on the map(Image: Leicester Mercury)
Tilly Dowler, 27, owner of Wanted Wardrobe, said: “I like the festival, it’s always good for the village but I don’t think it has as much of an impact anymore.
“Now that the shuttle buses have been put in place, less people actually come into the village as they are dropped off outside the big Co-op.
“Still, it is a very positive thing having Download Festival and we are very happy it happens here.
“We can’t moan because if it got moved to let’s say Silverstone, everyone would moan asking for it to be brought back.
“People give the festival-goers a bad rep about not being nice but those festival goers are the loveliest people. I’ve been to a few festivals and Download has the nicest attendees.
“Sales might go down a little bit in recent years but it’s still great getting our village put on the map. We love Download Festival!”
