Oxegen 2014: Festival cancelled due to 'lack of headline acts'

Promoters have axed the event as it is 'no longer viable in its current form'

Ireland’s Oxegen music festival has been axed this summer after organisers struggled to find bands for its line-up.

Promoters MCD were also forced to cancel the large, annual event due to money-based problems with agencies.

A brief statement on the official website read: “It is with regret that MCD announce that Oxegen will not take place this year due to lack of suitable headline acts which, combined with the financial demands by local agencies, make it no longer viable to stage the festival in its current form.”

Last year’s festival was cut from the usual three days to two-and-a-half days, with Calvin Harris, David Guetta and Snoop Dogg topping the bill.

Oxegen has taken place at Punchestown Racecourse since 2004 and was set to be staged at the County Kildare venue again in August. At its peak, the popular event attracted up to 80,000 music fans.

Oxegen was shelved once before, in 2012, but returned last summer with a shifted emphasis to dance acts in an attempt to differentiate itself from Stradbelly’s rising favourite, arts and music festival Electric Picnic.