Heavy metal festival cancelled with just 5% of tickets sold

A three-day heavy metal festival has been cancelled with just weeks to go after selling only 5% of available tickets.

The 5,000-capacity Dominion Festival was due to take place on 5-7 May at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, in County Durham.

The planned line-up included the bands Skindred, Blind Guardian and Orange Goblin.

Rescheduled from its original launch date in July last year, organisers Wannasee Promotions said that to go ahead would have led to losses of more than £250,000.

A statement from the promoter said: “The only ethical decision that could possibly be made now is to accept defeat, gut wrenching though this is."

Wannasee added that to go ahead "would risk us joining the pile of promoters who have failed to refund customers after using ticket money to fund a failed show, or not paid bands or suppliers for the show – neither of which is something that we could entertain.”