One of the stages at a major Norfolk festival will not open in 2024 after an "exceptionally wet year".
Houghton Festival returns to the grounds of Houghton Hall, near Fakenham, from August 8 to 11.
The four-day event is directed and curated by DJ Craig Richards and it is a celebration of electronic music, with art installations also at the site.
It has just been announced that The Quarry, one of 13 stages, will not open this weekend.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Houghton Festival 2024 in Norfolk
In a social media post, Houghton Festival said: "We have experienced an exceptionally wet year and this has raised the natural water level below the land at Houghton.
"The Quarry sits at a low level on the water table, therefore it is susceptible to flooding.
"This spring at its worst, it filled to a depth of almost two metres.
"For the last month, we have been pumping water out every other day in the hope we would solve the problem.
"However, relentless rain has meant we were fighting a losing battle.
"We have now surrendered in our efforts.
"The Quarry dancefloor remains underwater, which means the stage is impossible to open this year."
The artists who were scheduled for The Quarry have been "sensitively distributed" across the 12 other stages.
Houghton has also been granted permission from the council to extend the finish time on two stages.
READ MORE: 7 Norfolk music festivals and concerts in August 2024
The Derren Smart Stage will now close at 3am and The Old Gramophone at 5am.
The statement continued: "Our eight-year journey has been glorious and treacherous in equal measure - each year we are presented with new challenges.
"We have and always will respond in the best possible manner - durability is undoubtedly one of the key aspects of our evolution."
The first Houghton Festival was held in 2017, with 2019 cancelled due to dangerous weather conditions and 2020 and 2021 amid the Covid pandemic.
The updated timetable and tickets are available at houghtonfestival.co.uk
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