A coach load of tourists from Bolton have reportedly left locals angry after travelled to Wales for an already-cancelled ‘Elvis Festival despite local lockdown restrictions.
The Porthcawl Elvis Festival – which held annually in Bridgend County, South Wales and usually attracts about 35,000 fans and 100 impersonators – was understandably cancelled this year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Following a rise in confirmed cases, Bridgend County Borough was placed under local lockdown restrictions effective of yesterday (22nd September) at 6pm, with residents requiring “a reasonable excuse” to leave their county and tourists warned against travelling to the region.
This didn’t seem to stop a group of Bolton residents travelling there anyway.
The tourists arrived by coach on Monday afternoon after travelling 180 miles to the Seabank Hotel on Porthcawl’s seafront, only to then be told the county would become subject to tighter restrictions.
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Instead of spending the four nights in Porthcawl, the hotel is then believed to have transferred the group’s stay elsewhere and it is alleged that the tourists have travelled to the seaside town of Tenby in Pembrokeshire to continue their holiday.
Welsh Government has confirmed further restrictions for Bridgend County Borough from 6pm on Tuesday 22 September to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
👉 do not travel outside of Bridgend County Borough without a reasonable excuse. 1/6 pic.twitter.com/T8tUubcamo
Reporting from Porthcawl on Monday evening, BBC journalist Rhys Williams, said: “Not so long ago, a coach full of tourists turned up at one of the hotels along the seafront,
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“I spoke to a couple of the travellers on there who had actually come all the way from Bolton and instead of staying the four nights they were going to they had been told it was rearranged and tomorrow they were going to Tenby instead due to the restrictions that were due to come in to place.”
The UK government guidance does however allow residents from areas under local lockdown restrictions in England to travel outside of the area for tourism purposes with members of their household or social bubble.
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This discrepancy has fuelled concerns over lockdown tourism.
Andrew RT Davies – the Welsh Conservatives’ health spokesperson – told BBC Radio Wales it seemed “remarkable” that people from Bolton were on a coach holiday in Wales.
He said: “It doesn’t seem as if they have broken any rules or regulations, I think it emphasises the need to have a joined up approach between all the countries of the United Kingdom,
“If one part of the UK is allowing for such visits to be undertaken and another part of the UK is receiving those visits and testing isn’t in place to make sure those people aren’t leaving the area and might be spreading the virus, then obviously that is a gaping hole in the regulations.”
By working together we can stop coronavirus taking hold of our communities again.
-Keep 2m apart -Wash your hands -Work from home, if you can -Wear a face covering where needed -Only meet 6 people from your extended household indoors -Only travel when necessary#KeepWalesSafepic.twitter.com/eSTm70AK2e
The recent reports have also provoked anger on social media, with many Welsh residents querying why visitors are allowed to travel from a town with such high levels of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection rates.
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A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire Council added: “There are no restrictions to stop people leaving Bolton to go on holiday other than they should be doing so with people with whom they live (or in a ‘bubble’ with). There were no current restrictions on the bus load of persons leaving Porthcawl either at the time, and nothing to stop them from being in Tenby.”
They added the council’s enforcement team would be monitoring premises in Tenby to make sure they were complying with the current regulations.
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Neighbourhood Festival’s return to the city centre is looking great with after revealing second wave
Danny Jones
Neighbourhood Festival’s city centre all-dayer is returning to Manchester for 2026 after a year off, and with the second wave of the lineup having just dropped, it’s looking very promising.
Following teasers over the past month or so, it didn’t take long for us to figure out that NBHD Festival was coming back, especially with the Weekender in Warrington having taken a similar hiatus in 2024.
However, when festivals like these take time out, it can be easy to worry whether or not they’ll lose momentum or come back stronger.
Judging by this follow-up batch of acts alone, there’s no doubt NBHD Fest ’26 will be another cracker.
As you can see, as well as the fast-rising grungey alternative and garage rock quartet, KEO, being announced as one of the first big hitters on the list, there are some other familiar names on the lineup.
Especially for us Mancs.
With both Bolton and Altrincham youngsters, Florentenes and The Guest List, both joining the roster, as well as the likes of Bury-born ‘rockabilly’ revivalist Elliot James Reay also featuring on there, there’s a good deal of local talent to be enjoyed as always.
That goes for the regional delegation in general, too, with the likes of Jos River heading back up this way from her base in London, and Leeds’ fittingly named indie four-piece, The North, also booking a slot.
We’ll admit there are plenty of bands and artists coming up from the capital for the all-day festival, but at least they know where the UK’s real home of music is.
For instance, we’re buzzing to see the Red Rum Club boys returning to the NBHD stage once again – they never disappoint, and there are so many other guaranteed top performers on the bill. And that was just this year’s Weekener…
It’s worth reminding, once again, that since its inception in 2016 (yes, it really has been a decade now), Neighbourhood Fest has continued to serve as a proper launchpad for the next wave of superstars, not just here in the North West but across the country.
We still remember seeing the likes of Sam Fender, Holly Humberstone, Declan McKenna, Mahalia, The Lathums and more – some for the very first time – on these city centre stages, and it’s crazy to see how big some of them have gone on to become.
Set to take over some of Manchester’s most iconic venues along the Oxford Road Corridor once again, this is, without a doubt, one of the best dates for independents on the annual live music calendar.
Hosting a total of 11 stages on Saturday, 17 October, for a full day of live music, tickets for this year’s Neighbourhood Festival are on sale now right HERE.
And if you’ve already sorted yours, why not read our review of NBHD Weekender ’26 down below to get you in the mood for the next two editions.
Major DJ forced to pull out of Parklife festival on doctor’s orders
Thomas Melia
A well-known techno and trance DJ will no longer be playing at Parklife this weekend, he’s announced, with just one day to go until his major set.
Anyone heading to Heaton Park over the weekend for Manchester-based festival, Parklife, may notice the lineup looks a little different after one distinctive DJ has pulled out due to doctor’s orders.
Marlon Hoffstadt, who also goes by the moniker ‘DJ Daddy Trance’, was expected to play out on the Matinée stage on Saturday 20 June from 6.30pm – 8pm.
The Germany-based act was taking to the decks right before Manchester’s own Morgan Seatree, who has become recognised for his material which is an ode to house music and is likely to be one of the busiest sets of the weekend.
Hoffstadt had two gigs this weekend; the first being Parklife in Manchester and the second Fête de la Musique in Paris, both of which he has since pulled out of in a newly-published social media announcement.
The Berlin-born music maker has reluctantly called off these upcoming appearances and justified his decision by saying: “As much as I hate missing shows, I need to put my recovery first”.
To much dismay, Hoffstadt received doctor’s advice who deemed him ‘currently not fit to fly’ following surgery, urging him to rest and recover.
Marlon posted today: “I’m so sad to have to share this, but unfortunately I won’t be able to play Parklife in Manchester and Fête de la Musique in Paris this weekend.
“I recently had a surgery and, following my doctor’s advice, I’m currently not fit to fly and need rest and recover.
“I know many of you made plans and were looking forward to it, and I’m so sorry to let you down.
“As much as I hate missing shows, I need to put my recovery first so I can get back to doing what I love as soon as possible.”
As much as the presence of this world-class performer will be missed, there’s still plenty of notable names set to make their mark on Parklife including Zara Larsson, Calvin Harris, Skepta and more.
The outdoor big music weekender has established itself as a rave haven with mainly dance artists and DJs making up its lineup through a variety of curated b2b sets and live performances.
If you’re after immersing yourself in some jungle music, Bradford-native Nia Archives will have you transfixed over at The Valley with her jungle-heavy tunes from 6.30pm – 7.30pm or there’s three more stages to take your pick from.
We’re sure that anyone eager to see the ‘Hands Up In The Sky’ producer live may be frustrated by this brand-new social media announcement however as Hoffstadt mentions it’s so he can “Get back to doing what I love as soon as possible”.
The Manc -
23rd September 2020 
