ORGANISERS of a popular summer festival in Romsey have announced new dates for a cancelled event amid the coronavirus crisis.

Today the Romsey Festival committee revealed the 2021 event will now launch on Friday, July 2 and run through to Sunday, July 18.

Now Romsey's town centre manager, Mark Edgerley, has revealed rescheduling the Romsey Festival could have cost organisers £2,000.

Mr Edgerley said: "It has probably cost between £1,500 and £2,000 and we had produced a 24 page brochure, which was designed and ready to go to the printers, so that cost between £600 and £700 on its own."

This comes after the Romsey Festival and Beggars Fair, which rake in over 6,000 visitors, were called off last month in a bid to keep visitors, performers and volunteers safe from the deadly virus.

The festival is set to kick off at the Town Hall, Market Place, and will boast classical concerts, jazz, folk, dance, as well as other attractions.

Individual events will also have the opportunity to raise money for charities who have been financially hit by the coronavirus lockdown.

Mr Edgerley added: “This is really good news for Romsey, we have to be hopeful that summer 2021 will see coronavirus as a controlled yet terrible memory for us all.

"Romsey is known far and wide for our superb community spirit and this decision accords with that fact.”

Romsey Festival Chair, Liz Wagner, said “I am absolutely delighted the 2020 Romsey Festival participants are really enthusiastic about holding a Festival in 2021.

"We intend that next year’s festival will be a great celebration of the many and varied talents of our local community and it will be a real boost to participants and audiences alike.

"I also hope that it will be something for everyone to look forward to and help make the current situation be a distant memory.”

A spokesperson from the festival added: "All participants signed up for this year and who have responded, have supported the rescheduled dates, priority will be given to fitting those performances and events into the programme.

"The committee expects to have at least two evening opportunities for larger concerts or performances."

For further details see www.RomseyFestival.org or email the organising committee on vicechair@romseyfestival.org.

The Romsey Festival would have run from July 4 to July 19 this year and began in 1993.