Further events cancelled following Mutiny deaths

This weekend’s Live at the Bandstand and next week’s Undercover Skatepark will not go ahead as planned in Portsmouth, UK. The decision to postpone the two events follows the cancelling of day two of Mutiny Festival, after Tommy Cowan, 20, and Georgia Jones, 18, lost their lives after taking a lethal dose of MDMA last week.

In a statement released by Portsmouth City Council, councillor Steve Pitt, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, says: “Unfortunately we have decided not to go ahead with this weekend’s bandstand events.

“This was going to be the season’s big event on Castle Field and following the tragic events at Mutiny Festival it was felt we would have to put extra measures in place to safely manage it, and this wasn’t practical at such short notice.”

The council have said they are in the process of arranging a replacement bandstand event, Last Night of the Bandstand, which is earmarked to end the season in September. Details for this will be released as soon as they are available.

Bandstand organiser, Nick Courtney, has spoken to local media in support of the council’s decision. “We fully accept the decision to cancel the event after what happened at Mutiny,” he tells The News.

“The council has made this decision for the greater good”

“I dare say it was a decision they didn’t take lightly. It’s a question of making sure everyone is safe. The council has made this decision for the greater good.”

The news that these events will not be going ahead comes after it was announced an investigation would be launched into the deaths of the two young people. Two people, a 21-year-old woman and a 21-year old man, also remain under investigation for supplying class-A drugs.

Portsmouth councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson has said last week’s events may also lead to Mutiny Festival not getting a licence for future events, and festival organisers themselves have said the future is as yet uncertain for Mutiny.

Since last week’s deaths, festivals and outlets have been warning festivalgoers against taking any drugs. The organisers of Manchester’s Parklife have warned of a similar “very strong batch of pills”, known as ‘Punisher’ pills, in circulation in the local area:

https://twitter.com/Parklifefest/status/1001384512436297728

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