Zoo Thousand Festival criticised by fans

The Zoo Thousand Music Festival has been criticised by fans after several acts pulled out at the last minute.

Dizzee Rascal, Pendulum and Athlete failed to play the event at Port Lympne Wildlife Park, Kent, prompting punters to describe the festival as "a shambles".

According to eFestivals, organiser Matt Dice was removed from the site on Saturday.

The Tap 'n' Tin tent, which was the second biggest stage, was closed on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions, meaning many acts were forced to relocate to other stages such as the VIP area.

Several fans claimed that they missed sets because of the lack of organisation at the event.

Other attendees complained about the price of food, poor toilet facilities and long queues to get into the arena.

Gareth McCarthy told Kent Online: "It was an absolute shambles from start to finish. We had to queue for over four hours on the Friday just to get into the campsite."

Fellow festival-goer Nathan Davis commented: "It was dreadful, complete waste of money. I want my money back. I have a complaint as long as my arm."

A spokesperson for the event said: "As with all music festivals, there were some hiccups. This being the first Zoo8 at the park, there were bound to be some problems but they were all resolved quickly and efficiently, mainly by our own staff who stepped in to sort things out."

Mark Ronson, The Cribs, The Hives and Ash were among the acts who appeared over the weekend.