Camp Bestival, scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday at Lulworth Castle near the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, has banned camping stoves and disposable barbecues for attendees this weekend. Organizers cited the anticipated hot weather and "dry ground conditions" as reasons for the new restrictions.
To accommodate attendees, the festival has established designated campsite cooking areas and will provide free access to hot water. Organizers stated they are collaborating with Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service to ensure safety. Other items prohibited include fireworks, flares, sparklers, lanterns, and smoke canisters.
This decision comes in the wake of several wildfires that have occurred in the region this summer, attributed to the prevailing hot and dry weather. A drought was officially declared on Wednesday.
Earlier this summer, on July 17, a fire at the Rustic Stomp festival near Wareham, Dorset, originated from a camping stove igniting a tent. The incident resulted in the destruction of approximately 100 meters by 40 meters of heathland.