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Hop Farm staff say original festival promoter Vince Power will not use the attraciton's name if he puts on the music festival in Tunbridge Wells

08:14, 28 March 2014

updated: 09:50, 28 March 2014

Staff at the Hop Farm say they are confident there will only be one music festival in Kent named after the site this summer despite the event’s original founders saying they are taking the show elsewhere.

Ray Davies and Brian Wilson have been announced as headliners of the Hop Farm Music Festival at the attraction near Paddock Wood, which is being run by new promoters.

Music promoter Vince Power originally founded a festival by that name on the site six years ago but had to cancel last year’s event after poor ticket sales.

A music event at the Hop Farm
A music event at the Hop Farm

The Irish businessman has said he is moving the festival to Tunbridge Wells this year and will use the name, although no venue or line-up announcements have been made.

Yet staff at the Hop Farm – which has been under new ownership since April last year – say they believe there will be no rival event run by Mr Power.

Communications manager Miguel Fenton said: “Vince put out information saying it was going to happen but we are pretty confident it is not going to happen.

“If it does it will not be called the Hop Farm Music Festival because it is not at the Hop Farm.

“It would be bizarre to have a Hop Farm Music Festival not at the Hop Farm. Unless he can find another one with the same acreage as us.

“He may put on a concert but he can call it the Vince Power Concerts.

“I would find it unusual if he is still choosing to use the Hop Farm name.”

So far there has been no response to the Hop Farm’s comments from Mr Power’s team.

In a statement on his festival’s Facebook page last year, he said: “I have been building the Hop Farm for six years now, unfortunately due to the economic climate we had to cancel last year, but the festival is not over.

“We have a strong brand in the festival market, an instantly recognisable festival and you can’t keep a good festival down.”

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