Book your place at next year's Latitude

Mark Lord

MUSIC and arts fans starting buying tickets for next year's Latitude Festival last night - just hours after this year's event came to a close

Organisers of the festival, which took place at Henham Park, near Southwold, over the weekend, hailed the event, featuring music, visual art and literature, as a “huge success”.

Thousands of festival-goers made their way home yesterday as a major clean-up event got under way at the country estate.

The performance arenas, bars and food outlets are now being dismantled, leaving the parkland and its sheep - sprayed purple green and pink for the occasion - to return to their former peace.

But thoughts were already turning to next year with a limited number of tickets available at this year's prices. The 25,000 tickets for this year's event had sold out by June.

Hektor Rous, whose family runs the estate, said yesterday: “I am now off to bed after a very long and busy weekend, but seriously this park is part of my family's heritage and it is good to share it with so many people.

“This really is the perfect site for such a festival everything looked fantastic the lake, the woods - all were looking amazing.

“The music this year was certainly very impressive as were many of the other areas - it is really great to be able to hold this event here and I certainly look forward to next year.”

A spokesman for organisers Festival Republic said: “We think Latitude 2008 was a huge success. Thanks to all the bands, poets, authors, artists, directors, actors, dancers, and performers that made this Latitude the best ever.”

Those hoping to book a place at Latitude 2009 should visit www.latitudefestival.co.uk or call the credit card booking hotline on 0871 231 0821 to check availability.