Singer Craig David has claimed that his headline performance at Wychwood Festival was cancelled without his knowledge, with Sophie Ellis-Bextor stepping in as his replacement. The 45-year-old artist was scheduled to perform his TS5 set at the Cheltenham festival on Friday, May 29, but organisers announced earlier this week that he was 'unable to' appear due to 'circumstances beyond anyone's control'.
Craig David's Statement
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Craig David posted a message on his story expressing his disappointment. He wrote: 'Hey everyone, it was brought to my attention that my performance at Wychwood Festival this Friday (May 29th) has been cancelled by the promoter. My team and I weren't made aware until after a statement had already been shared with fans, which sadly left us in no position to give you all an update ourselves.'
He added: 'We're really disappointed, as I'd been looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. If you purchased tickets in the hopes of catching my set, please contact the festival directly to request a refund.'
Festival Organisers' Announcement
Earlier this week, festival bosses announced that Craig David would not be appearing as planned, but remained vague about the reason. In a statement, they said: 'We are disappointed to announce that Craig David Presents TS5 is unfortunately unable to join us at Wychwood Festival this year due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. We sincerely hope to welcome Craig to Wychwood in the future.'
They confirmed that Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who was already scheduled to perform earlier, would now close the night with a headline set. 'Our team has been working flat out behind the scenes to make sure Friday night remains every bit as special as planned and we are thrilled to announce that the phenomenal Sophie Ellis-Bextor is now stepping up to headline Friday night,' the statement continued.
'Sophie was already set to bring the disco to the main stage, and now she will officially close the night with a sequin studded headline performance. We're deeply grateful to Sophie and her team for rearranging plans at such short notice to make this happen.'
Upcoming Performances
Craig David's next performance is scheduled for June 5 at Try Fest in Letchworth, followed by further gigs across the UK and Europe over the summer. Wychwood Festival also features acts such as Kaiser Chiefs, Maximo Park, Feeder, Boney M, and Newton Faulkner.
The Mirror has contacted Wychwood Festival for comment. Organisers have yet to publicly respond to Craig David's statement.
