Organisers of East Devon’s Beautiful Days festival are due to decide in early April whether the popular live music event will go ahead this summer.

The festival, staged at Escot Park near Ottery St Mary, is due to take place between August 20 and 22. But with the recent announcement that this June’s iconic Glastonbury Festival would again be cancelled, the second time it has fallen foul of the coronavirus pandemic, music fans’ attentions have turned anxiously to Escot’s highly regarded Beautiful Days.

Festival organisers revealed this week that their decision would be made soon.

They said in a statement on the Beautiful Days website: “We wanted to update you on where we are with Beautiful Days 2021.

“Unlike some of our bigger friends, we have a little bit more time before we have to make a decision as to whether we can, or cannot, go ahead this year. "

The statement continued: “We are continuing to discuss and plan for 2021 and will be closely monitoring how things develop over the next few months. A decision will be made at the beginning of April.

“Thank you to everyone who rolled ticket bookings over from 2020. If we’re able to go ahead this year then tickets will go back on sale in April and we will start announcing artists. We very much hope to see you all this summer.

“In the meantime, stay safe.”

Beautiful Days is the Levellers’ independent family music festival, organised by DMF Music and first staged in 2003.

The 18th edition was due to take place from August 21 to 23 last year but due to the Covid-19 pandemic the event was cancelled.

As well as several stages, including a seated theatre tent, the festival traditionally provides site art installations, a wild spa, crafts area, healing garden, a children’s area, walkabout theatre, play zones in campsites, family camping, real ale bars, folk sessions and a vast selection of food and craft stalls.

In 2011 Beautiful Days was pronounced “Best Family Festival” by the UK Festival Awards.