Arab Strap, The Lovely Eggs, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly headline last ever Wakefield Long Division Festival

Dean Freeman announced earlier this year that 2023’s Long Division festival, established in 2011, would be the last one.

Arab Strap, The Lovely Eggs, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, The Orielles, bdrmm and The Research headlined.

Dean said said: “I don't know how it could have gone better.

"I think we made the right call letting everyone know it was the last one ahead of the event.

“It was a big group of people who worked on it, not just me, loads of people on the day, and I am very proud of my team.

"Eighty per cent of the audience arrived by 2pm and everyone was there by 4pm.

“They came at the start to be there as much as possible and enjoy it one last time.”

Ultimately it was money troubles that did for the festival alongside fallout from Covid and Brexit.

Dean said a handful of sponsors had pulled out of the festival this year and as a result it depended on revenue from fans buying tickets.

He said: “For me it felt most like the first year. This year the way that tickets flew it out was like people power – the strength of the music fans made up for the money we lost from businesses.

“That's great as I see it and that's how we started out. It felt like it was reclaimed by fans, not that it needed to be. That's just my perspective.

“The venues this year were tighter together and all that that end of town was just full of people in Long Division t-shirts from across the years.

“I feel good because it ended in the best possible way. Ending on a positive note is how I want people to remember it. I feel happy about that.”

There will be a big gap in Wakefield’s musical calendar after the departure of Long Division.

Dean said he would offer support to anyone who wanted, but the model for this festival would be difficult to replicate.

He said: “Long Division doesn't make sense as a business or business plan. It would be difficult to do again. I hope someone takes what we did and does what they want about it.

“But Wakefield needs to build back up its grassroots again.

“It’s currently reliant on a small number of people and if two or three decide to quit – it's finished.

"We need lots of smaller things going, lots of different perspectives on live music.

“I don't know if anyone would step in and repeat it but if they do we would help them if they wish.”

In previous years it attracted the likes of Sea Power, We Are Scientists, Ghostpoet, Ash, Billy Bragg, Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells, Asian Dub Foundation, and The Vaselines to the city.

Dean will now focus on Long Division’s youth education programme – Young Team.

He added: “Shout out to all the Young Team bands who played the festival. They formed at Easter, then all did their first shows and they smashed it.”

He will also be working on Wakefield Live, an accessible, multi arts festival with a focus on family friendly activity.