Preston Weekender moving dates and into the Guild Hall

Preston Guild Hall was closed as a venue and the parent firm placed into administration Pic: Tony Worrall — Preston Guild Hall Pic: Tony Worrall

A festival due to take place on Preston’s Flag Market this summer has been pushed back to the Autumn and moved indoors at the Guild Hall.

The Preston Weekender – put on by Preston’s Business Improvement District (BID) – was due to run for three days on Friday 11 August to Sunday 13 August.

It will become the first major event to happen in the Guild Hall since its closure to the public in 2019.

The dance night on Saturday has been moved to Saturday 18 November and the indie event on Sunday has been moved to Sunday 19 November.

The funk night due for the Friday has been cancelled completely and organisers say they are working with Bjorn Again and Brutus Gold to find a new date in 2024.

Anyone attending the Family Fiesta event on the Saturday will instead be able to see the likes of Mr Bloom at the city’s Christmas lights switch on in November.

A spokesperson for Preston BID said: “We’ve taken the tough decision to change the dates of ‘The Preston Weekender’ – the good news is that the events will now take place indoors, and will be the first events of size to take place in the Guild Hall in recent years.

“We apologise for any inconvenience and hope that you will agree that staging the event indoors will be a better experience for everyone. We look forward to celebrating with you in November, and kickstarting the city’s Christmas celebrations early!”

What do ticket holders need to do?

Ticket holders with tickets for the Ministry of Sound Club Classics show or the Sunday Showdown night don’t need to do anything, all existing tickets will be valid for the new dates.

If you can’t make the new dates then you can apply for a refund by visiting the Fatsoma website in the next 14 days.

Anyone due to attend the Friday Funk event will automatically be issued with a refund.