Disappointment as a major new Wigan music festival is axed at the 11th hour
A new large-scale Wigan tribute music spectacular which was expected to welcome more than 2,500 visitors, has been axed.
Highfield Cricket Club had been set to host its biggest event to date with the Summer Sounds Festival in just a fortnight’s time on Saturday June 27.
But last night (June 12) organisers announced that, due to an unspecified and “unexpected operational issue,” they were having to pull the plug.
Public reaction on social media since has since been of sadness and disappointment but there are also expressions of hope that it can get off the ground in the future.
A statement from cricket club chair, Mike Gregory, reads: “It is with great regret and disappointment that Highfield Cricket Club has made the difficult decision to cancel our inaugural Summer Sounds Music Festival.
"This decision has not been taken lightly.
"The event has been cancelled due to an unexpected operational issue which could not be resolved within the available timeframe, making it impossible to run the event as planned.
"Every avenue has been explored, and our dedicated volunteer events team worked tirelessly over the past week to find a workable solution, but unfortunately to no avail.
"We would like to thank them sincerely for their tremendous time and effort.
"After careful consideration, we concluded that we could not deliver the event as intended, with no other option than to cancel, which is incredibly upsetting to do at this very late stage.
"We fully accept responsibility and sincerely apologise for the disappointment this causes. We know many of you were really looking forward to the festival, had made plans with friends and family, and that ticket sales exceeded all expectations — a testament to the incredible community support we received.
"We share in that disappointment!
"All ticket-holders will receive a full refund.
"These will be processed automatically via your original payment method. This will start over the weekend.
"We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to EVERYONE who supported the event — our dedicated volunteers, performers, partners, sponsors, and all ticket holders.
“Your enthusiasm and backing mean a great deal to us.
“We are already working hard to ensure we can deliver successful events in the future as we have in the past as we have time to resolve these unforseen issues, and look forward to bringing more great experiences to the community.
“Thank you for your understanding and continued support of Highfield Cricket Club.”
The event was to have delivered a full day and evening of live tribute music – featuring musicians paying homage to top acts including Oasis, Robbie Williams, ABBA, Take That and George Michael – alongside food, drink and a festival-style atmosphere.
Although well-known for hosting many community events throughout the year, Summer Sounds 2026 was to be the first time Highfield would transform its extensive 13,000m sq grounds into a dedicated music festival.
Tickets had been selling well and organisers had attracted a sizeable number of local firms to sponsor the event.