A new three-day music event at a historic Kent venue has been announced.

The Castle Concerts has been criticised by music fans in recent years but is now under management.

The Festival Crowd is in charge and will host the Rochester event between July 5 and July 7. It has run similar events around the UK, including KISSTORY, Uptown Festival, Downton and Superboxx.

A spokesman said: “Festival fans will be diving into the rhythm of Indie beats, grooving to nostalgic club classics, and witnessing legendary acts that will reverberate through the town during the Castle Live series.

“Stay tuned as The Festival Crowd unveils the full lineup in weeks to come, promising a musical journey that transcends boundaries and creates memories that will linger long after the final notes fade away.

“Rochester Castle Live is not just an event; it's a collection of some of the very best touring festivals in the UK & an experience that promises to elevate the cultural vibrancy of Rochester to epic new heights.”

Last year, tickets for the once-popular concerts were being given away for next to nothing on a seat-filler website.

It meant tickets for acts such as the Sugababes, Soft Cell and Fat Freddy’s Drop – which cost around £55 – became available online for just a small £6.50 admin fee.

In 2022, the event was criticised by VIP ticket holders who were unhappy with “warm wine, no food and dirty toilets”.

The upgraded ticket cost an extra £49 and was meant to bring a dedicated fast-track entry lane, private bars and food area, as well as access to premium toilets and VIP seating.

At the time concert-goer Ashley Pearson said: “We were promised a VIP food area. There wasn’t one. There was nothing at all serving food, you had to go into the main arena.

“There was only one bar, and it was serving the same as the main arena bar, it was the same menu. In fact, the VIP menu look tattier with bits covered up and changed.”

Before that, multiple cancellations left people with a long wait for a rescheduled event or refunds.

It was due to the pandemic and a delay in “freedom day” from then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

In 2019, Jess Glynne’s late-cancellation of her performance caused problems.

The Brit-Awards winner was the big draw that year, but left fans disappointed after having to pull out following advice from her doctors.

The concerts were run by Medway Council until 2019 when they outsourced the event to AGMP.

KentOnline has contacted them and The Festival Crowd for more information about the change.