The Wiltshire Throwback Festival is set to go ahead next weekend despite Wiltshire Council rejecting its planning application for the second time. The two-day event, branded as WTF26!, will take place at Oakfield Stadium in Melksham on Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27.
Line-Up and Expansion Plans
The festival features platinum-selling London rapper Professor Green, chart-toppers Liberty X, Amelle from Sugababes, and Jon Lee and Jo O'Meara from S Club 7. Also performing are late-90s UK R&B boy band Another Level, London R&B/hip-hop collective Big Brovaz, UK garage outfit DJ Pied Piper and MC DT, Manchester garage act Sweet Female Attitude, and British ninja-masked Radio 1 DJ Jaguar Skills.
Organisers, Bowerhill-based events firm Jarboom, had applied to expand the audience capacity to 5,000 over-18s ticket-holders per day—double the previous size—and add a smaller 80s music stage. However, on June 17, fewer than two weeks before the event, the council rejected the application.
Reasons for Refusal
The council's Public Protection team stated that the submitted Noise Management Plan was insufficient to assess likely noise impacts on residential amenity. A late objection from the council's ecology officer added that insufficient information had been provided to demonstrate the proposal would avoid significant harm to habitats and species. These concerns echo those from 2025, when the inaugural festival faced a similar refusal on ecological grounds but was granted a licence and went ahead.
In contrast, Melksham Town Council backed the application, noting it was a one-off event and granting permission did not establish a right for multiple events. Melksham Without Parish Council welcomed the application, reflecting positively on the previous event's crowd management, security, traffic, and police feedback.
Organiser Response and Appeal
Nico Menghini of Jarboom expressed disappointment, stating they had worked extensively to address concerns raised in 2025. He noted additional mitigation measures, including fencing to protect the wildlife area, and a comprehensive noise management strategy based on the same procedures from WTF25!, which received no formal noise complaints. Jarboom has lodged an appeal, placing the planning process in a holding pattern and allowing the festival to proceed.
Menghini confirmed: "Most importantly, WTF26! is going ahead as planned. We are incredibly excited to welcome thousands of festival-goers back to Oakfields Stadium." He added that ticket sales are strong, with only a limited number remaining.
A Wiltshire Council spokesperson has been contacted for comment.
