The cancellation of one of the UK's biggest Pride events came as a huge shock to many.

Billed for the first week of August, the Brighton celebration would have taken place weeks after the final stage in the government's roadmap out of lockdown - with the Prime Minister himself suggesting all social distancing measures could be scrapped by then.

But earlier this week organisers said there were still “uncertainties that need to be resolved to safely deliver mass gatherings,” including a lack of insurance in the event of a cancellation due to Covid-19.

With just a few months to go before many of Kent's summer events are due to go ahead, will we see more organisers inevitably pulling the plug for the same reason?

According to veteran events organiser and Canterbury Pride founder, Edd Withers, it's looking increasingly likely.

He said: "With Brighton Pride being cancelled, who's next? I don't know, but my suspicion is there will be more to come."

Edd no longer looks after Canterbury's annual event, instead heading up new organisation Kent Pride - and has taken the decision to delay their first county-wide event until summer 2022, with a live streamed show taking place in January.

The organiser told KentOnline that events companies were having to make impossible decisions about running events this year when so much uncertainty still remains over how outdoor events will operate, and what guidelines will be in place.

He said: "Event organisers are having to ask themselves the question 'do we try and push on and have an event this year, at the risk of never having an event again?'

"We're not going to be having a physical event this year - the answer is sadly and sensibly no."

The live industry has spent the last six months calling on the government to offer a Covid insurance scheme, which would allow events to be planned without fear of losing thousands of pounds if they have to be cancelled at the last moment.

Edd said: "My experience with previous events is that you use the revenue you created from the previous year to kick you off in organising for the next year.

"If you lose all of that and you start at zero, then that's just the end of it. There's nothing you can do."

Countless contractors and companies involved in large scale events could find themselves teetering on the edge of financial ruin if an event were to be cancelled with little to no notice.

But the reality of the pandemic means a change of the guidelines or even a sudden local lockdown could be just around the corner, making events organisers nervous about what the near future holds.

Other Kent events have already taken the decision to cut their losses and focus on planning for 2022 instead.

Last month, bosses of Neverworld festival in Hever cancelled for the second time in two years, saying that the financial risk of continuing to go ahead with the event would be too great.

A statement on their website said: "After 15 years of overcoming all manner of adversities to keep the dream alive, we would never have entertained the idea of cancelling an event, let alone two in a row.

"Needless to say we are devastated, but we must be responsible in our decision making."

Canadian crooner Michael Bublé also cancelled his scheduled summer performance in Kent and pencilled in a new date for 2022.

The Grammy-award winning star was set to take to the stage at Kent Cricket Club's Spitfire Ground St Lawrence, in Canterbury, this July.

The ongoing Covid-19 situation was the reason cited for the cancellation, which has an added complexity for internationally touring artists who are having to navigate restrictions from multiple countries.

But other events across the county are still planning to go ahead, including a scaled back version of the Kent County Show in July.

And despite the caution of its former boss, Canterbury Pride is still due to go ahead on September 11 of this year.

With 20,000 people attending in 2019, it was a success with locals and those further afield travelling in to take part in the celebration.

Committee member Jon Fitter-Harding said: "We're still planning on Pride and hopefully we're going to have the same Pride as we've had previously.

"We'll know more details in June, because obviously they've done these test pilot events. I think the government will make their decision based on those events.

"But for us we're absolutely planning to going ahead."

Canterbury Pride are not the only organisation adamant that their event will be going ahead this summer.

The Black Deer Festival in Eridge Park, Tunbridge Wells, is taking place just one week after restrictions are due to lift on June 21.

The organisers moved the original dates to fit with the government roadmap, and is now scheduled for June 25 to 27.

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