Wireless festival to finish early for England v Spain Euros final
The Wireless festival has stated that it will finish ahead of schedule on Sunday so that fans have ample time to make their way home and tune in to watch the Euro 2024 final.
The music festival featuring rap, R&B, and hip-hop in Finsbury Park, London, will begin soon, with Nicki Minaj set to headline the lineup on Friday.
However, the event planners revealed on Instagram that Doja Cat's performance on Sunday would start earlier so that the event could end at 19:00 BST.
The soccer match between England and Spain starts one hour later at 20:00.
On Friday, Nicki Minaj will close out the show at 10:20 PM, and on Saturday, 21 Savage will wrap up his set at 10:15 PM.
Many people at the festival were not happy and wondered why they couldn't watch the match there.
Jazzi-Mai Edwards told BBC Newsbeat that she plans to attend the event, but she doesn't understand why they won't show it on the main screen.
"I feel let down because I bought the ticket well ahead of time for a whole day," the 22-year-old explains.
Jazzi-Mai believes that one hour is not sufficient for most people in the audience to leave and watch the final.
Ellena Kkolos expressed disappointment and viewed the last-minute changes as disrespectful.
"Music and football are two separate worlds with their own unique cultures, and not everyone shares an interest in football," she tells Newsbeat.
"We, as people attending the festival, have spent a significant amount of money to experience the music," Ellena, who is 32 years old, explains.
Two major performers, Tyla and Digga D, were originally scheduled to perform on Sunday but have canceled their appearances since they were first announced.
The event planners for the Wireless festival had not yet revealed which artists would be performing in place of the duo.
Rapper Digga D is facing legal trouble for drugs, while South African artist Tyla had to cancel her international tour due to a major injury.
There were rumors among fans that the festival was coming to an end because a replacement was not found. However, Festival Republic organizers have clarified to Newsbeat that the adjustments in schedule and end time were made to allow attendees to watch the football game. They emphasized that no artists have been dropped or had their sets shortened as a result of this change.
Rappers Flo Milli and Veeze cancelled their performances on Friday, but NSG and Kairo Keyz will now be taking their place in the line-up.
The event planners confirmed that Doja Cat will still perform a complete set despite her headline spot being scheduled earlier than usual.
Additional performances during the weekend include J Hus, Sean Paul, Gunna, Future, Rema, and Uncle Waffles.
The festival organizers have also announced that there will be unexpected performances throughout the weekend.
Approximately 50,000 people attend the Wireless festival annually.
The event also declared that disposable vape pens are prohibited and may be taken away if found.
Earlier this year, Wireless entered into a long-term agreement with Haringey Council to continue hosting the event in Finsbury Park annually until at least 2027.
