03 Oct 2025
The organisers of the ever-popular George Street Gin and Jazz Festival have expressed their regret at having to cancel the event due to extreme bad weather.
Weather warnings of high winds, coupled with torrential rain, has resulted in St Albans City Centre BID and George Street Retail Association deciding to pull the plug on this year’s festival to protect the safety of vendors and visitors alike.
Viv Cannon, manager of St Albans City Centre BID, explained: “It’s such a shame to cancel this event that has run successfully for nearly 10 years without issue.
“At some point in the day, you must make the call based on the best available information. People need adequate time to react and cancel set-up arrangements, contractors, and entertainers who will find it difficult to perform safely if the predicted high winds arrive.
“We would seek to continue with an event if it we just rain, not heavy rain, but the wind speed can cause damage, and we would not wish anyone to be harmed. George Street Retail Association is already exploring what they can do in the future that people may enjoy so keep an eye out for any updates.”
Tomorrow’s Charter Market has also been cancelled – with wind speeds predicted to reach as high as 52mph the decision was made for safety reasons.
