A SOMERSET festival is preparing to take place in 2021 - and has received a cash boost to help make it happen.

The NASS Festival has announced it will receive a grant from the Arts Council and Department for Digital Culture, Music and Sport (DCMS) as part of the UK Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.

Organisers say the grant will provide vital support, allowing NASS festival organisers to take the careful steps towards reopening the event safely in 2021, after the festival was forced to postpone this year.

Taking place at the Bath & West Showground, near Shepton Mallet, each year NASS welcomes 30,000 festival goers to take in music, street-art, skate and BMX, over four days.

Putting NASS on each year requires the support of a large team of highly skilled professionals, including hiring hundreds of contractors and a team of full-time freelancers, with the majority based in the South West, as well as working with local suppliers who provide essential services such as policing, security, venue management, on site facilities and more, said organiser Andrew Topham.

“We are hugely grateful to the Arts Council and DCMS for the support NASS festival has received," he said.

"These grants are a lifeline to not just NASS but to many other independent festivals and arts businesses across the UK.

Bridgwater Mercury:

"These funds allow us to move forward and put in place vital and appropriate measures to ensure our attendees and staff, as well as those living in the surrounding area, are kept as safe as possible at next year’s event, which we hope will be the best NASS yet.

"We already have The Streets announced as one of our headline acts for 2021, which we are incredibly excited about, and there’s much more still to come.”

Each year, the festival brings an estimated £1m into the local economy as well as approximately 90 full-time jobs and now, thanks to government support, organisers are hopeful this will continue and grow into 2021 and beyond.

NASS festival is set to take place on July 8 to 11 2021, with The Streets announced as the headline act, plus other names still to be announced.

Tickets are on sale now via the website at www.nassfestival.com.