A POPULAR Ulverston festival will not go ahead until 2022.

Chairman of the South Cumbria Musical Festival Bob McClean issued a statement to announce the sad news.

The festival, which was cancelled earlier this year, includes solo, duet and band performances, as well as readings of poetry and dramatisations.

It is a favourite for everyone young and old, with many school choirs joining in with the fun.

The announcement of the festivals postponement came due to a mix of uncertainty and safety fears for the performers.

There were also concerns over venues, with its usual venue of the Coronation Hall unable to take bookings until April next year, and too much uncertainty surrounding alternative venues who are able to accommodate the festival in March.

Chairman Bob McClean said: "We are obviously very disappointed in having to make this decision but feel it is necessary in the current climate.

"We hope you understand our decision and look forward to seeing you in 2022."

Disappointed by the cancellation of the music festival, along with other events in the town, Ulverston councillor David Webster is hoping we see a return to normality sooner rather than later.

He said: "It's an exceptionally good concert that I have been to before. The musicians are fantastic and the quality is really, really high.

"In Ulverston there are a lot of festivals and events that go on and this year it has lost so much.

"It is not only the loss for the town people who visit them, but its a loss for the actors and musicians.

"Normality might be sooner than we think due to the vaccine, and we then we can get on with pulling everything back together and getting the town back on its feet."

The festival is set to make a comeback on March 21-26, 2022.