Psytrance festival blocked after local residents describe music as “a form of torture”

A psytrance festival due to take place in South Gloucestershire has been blocked following complaints from local residents.

The organisers of Goa Cream’s ninth edition, which was scheduled to take place for the third year in a row at Yewtree Farm, near the town of Thornbury, from 12th to 14th September, were informed of the local council’s decision on 8th April.

South Gloucestershire councillors reportedly resolved to block the festival from taking place on its intended site after consulting with the council’s environmental health team and Avon and Somerset Police.

According to BBC News, 11 complaints were submitted to the local council concerning the festival, with one resident describing the event as “non-stop heavy bass music; it was almost inhumane and a form of torture” in their complaint letter to local police.

Another resident claimed the noise from the festival had “a profound effect” on his family, while another reported experiencing a headache all weekend.

The BBC also reports that festival organiser Piers Ciappara had recently reached out to a “professional sound acoustic engineer”, after Goa Cream’s own noise monitoring process was criticised as being “inadequate”.

Ciappara said: “Last year we only had handwritten notes and photographs because the week after the event my colleague who had the sound system had a bad accident. He nearly chopped his hand off cutting the grass so he couldn’t put a spreadsheet together – but this year we have a professional team with us.”

The festival, which raises funds for Bristol Suicide Prevention and Sharpness lifeboat station, is described by Ciappara as a family-friendly event popular with the over-40s.

Writing in a Facebook post on Monday (14th April) under the name Piers Chapora, the festival’s organisers stated that they are currently looking into alternative sites. “Hi friends, Goa Cream is NOT cancelled !! For all of you freaks looking forward to being tortured at Yewtree farm in September. I’m afraid South Gloucester Council have objected to our licence application, the long and short of it, “Yewtree farm is an unsuitable venue for music/dance festivals?” 

He added: “All this means is, we are now looking for another venue for this September’s party. I am going to see other possible sites later this week, so fingers crossed. Just putting it out there, if you know of a suitable venue with like-minded land owners, please let us know. One World, One Love, One Dancefloor.”