A festival has been criticised for its lack of facilities for disabled music-lovers.

Rock The Mote took place in Mote Park, Maidstone, on Saturday and Sunday.

Organisers advertised the event would be “fully wheelchair accessible” with a “dedicated viewing area for wheelchair users.”

But Katie Boarman, said the promise did not live up to reality.

She said: “I ended up crying in the one accessible Portaloo that was barely big enough for my wheelchair.

“The bands were amazing, but the lack of accessibility and general awareness about disabled festival-goers with mobility aids was shocking.”

She said: “There was no viewing area provided for wheelchair-users as promised.”

“When I asked a member of staff, no explanation was given, I was just told to complain to the organisers after the event.

“I tried to email them immediately on Saturday afternoon to an address on their website, but I just got an automated reply saying that the email address was no longer in use.

“Having a designated area for wheelchair users and the disabled community is so important and it’s so distressing when an event seemingly just doesn't care that they have broken their promise to disabled ticketholders.

“Without a wheelchair viewing area, the only way I can see the stage is to try to get right to the front of the audience and stretch to see over the barrier.

“Even if I do manage to get to the front, I still struggle to see as folks often push either side of me. Once I am at the front, I am pretty much stuck there until the set is finished.

“I can get around in my wheelchair but I cannot move against the crowd. The nature of being in a crowd is claustrophobic enough, but when you are sat down, unable to safely move it’s actually scary.

“If I cannot get to the front, I cannot see the stage at all – only the backs of everyone around me.

“I’ve found I have people stepping over me, leaning over me to get past. I have strangers leaning and holding onto my wheelchair.

“It’s not just the organisers at fault of course, there is a general lack of awareness around disability and accessibility.”

Miss Boarman, from Maidstone, is a volunteer event organiser for the Kent Steampunk group Great Kentspectations, and is a hobbyist costumer and makeup artist.

She has suffered from pain centred in her pelvis that radiates throughout her body for the past nine years. She can use crutches to move around, but the wheelchair is more comfortable for long periods.

She said: “The chronic pain affects every aspect of my life, my mobility, my mental health. It takes a lot to find a balance of rest and activity, to find enjoyment and go through important life experiences while dealing with 24/7 pain and fatigue.

“I love music, but for a long time, concert-going hadn't really been a part of my life mainly due to my health troubles and treatments.

“But since 2020 with my disabilities proving to be something I will most likely carry with me for the rest of my life, I have tried to retake some control and get back to trying to do some of the things I love.

“Rock the Mote was my second larger outdoor festival experience and unfortunately may be my last – at least until accessibility advertisements are delivered upon.”

Miss Boarman said the other issue at Rock The Mote was the lack of accessible toilets.

She said: “There was only one and that was barely usable due to its very cramped conditions.

“Those of us who need to use an accessible toilet face struggles with doors, squeezing to get mobility aids into the cubicle and then having to navigate that small enclosed space to use the toilet.

“The festival was on grass, but a temporarily floored path would have made things much easier for wheelchair users to navigate.

“There was an accessible entrance that had some temporary flooring, but it wasn't clearly sign-posted, and the floor had quite a difficult lip to bump wheels over and the flooring stopped just after the entrance, which seemed a little counter-intuitive.”

However, she did have one positive thing to say about the event organisers, Lucus Events and Park Live.

She said: “They did provide my carer with a complimentary ticket which was lovely.”

But she said: “We all like to rock out to our favourite bands, watch amazing performances and have fun. The disabled community is no different. We just sometimes need a little extra help so we can stay safe while we enjoy the show.”

The tribute festival, advertised as an event for all the family, included acts such as Forever Jackson, Ironed Maiden, Katy Ellis, Magic Queen, Miss Madonna and The Who Are We across three stages.

Tickets were priced from £14.50. Miss Boarman paid £33.60 for a weekend ticket.

Lucus Live Events and Park Live Events have not responded to KentOnline’s request for comment.

However, Miss Boarman did receive an email following her complaint. The spokesman apologised for the lack of an accessible viewing area, saying “I don't know exactly the reason why this was not done.”

He said: “We should have a safe raised platform fit for use before our events next year.”

Later Lucus Live told KentOnline: “There was one accessible toilet in every 'block' of facilities, which totalled four across the entire site.”

We would also like to engage with the community to see how we can improve

We had a professional cleaning team on duty and while they sometimes struggled in the wet weather they did a good job, on the whole, of maintaining the facilities.

“We were aware of some issues where customers were not flushing the toilets correctly, and we will add extra signage next year to ensure this happens.

“With regards to the reserved area, we had feedback pre-show from members of the community that felt they would be 'segregated' or 'put in a corner' with a sectioned area and decided against doing this.

“The viewing area to the main stage was on a gradient sloping down which we felt gave a good view of the stage for all customers, standing or seated. If this was not the case we will look into it for next year’s shows.

“We would also like to engage with members of the community with additional needs to see how we can improve.”