A proposed electronic music festival at Cotswold Airport, Kemble, has sparked fears among nearby villagers that their quality of life will be severely affected. The Runway Festival, set to host up to 5,000 attendees from June 26 to 28, includes camping on the airfield and promises late-night electronic and techno music performances.
Wiltshire Council is slated to debate the premises licence application next month, amid growing community concerns about noise, lighting, pyrotechnics, and traffic disruptions. Local authorities and residents from Gloucestershire villages such as Kemble and Rodmarton—just a few miles away—have voiced serious worries.
Cotswold District Councillor Mike McKeown emphasized the potential impact, especially regarding noise. He noted that “Cotswold Airport is quite high and open and noise can carry,” raising alarms about bass-heavy music continuing until 4 a.m., far beyond the main stage’s scheduled 11 p.m. finish.
In his formal statement to Wiltshire Council, Cllr McKeown stressed the importance of strict, enforceable conditions due to the event’s scale and the nature of the music. He explained that low-frequency bass can travel long distances, penetrating indoors and causing significant sleep disturbance.
Adding to these concerns, George Collins, chairman of Kemble and Ewen Parish Council, labeled the festival’s proposed late-night hours as “totally unreasonable.” While acknowledging the airport’s need for commercial viability, Collins criticized the current application as “ill thought through” and lacking essential noise control and traffic management plans.
“Residents' lives will be made a misery if this goes ahead as proposed,” Collins declared, highlighting the absence of any detailed noise mitigation or travel arrangements. He doubted that attendees closing windows in summer could effectively contain the sound levels.
Wiltshire Council will review the application on April 1, while Cotswold Airport officials have yet to comment on the matter.