Parklife Festival Apologises For Worst Marketing Campaign Of 2014

The organisers of Manchester's Parklife festival have apologised after sending out marketing SMS messages to festivalgoers, claiming to be from the recipients' mothers. "Some of the Parklife after parties have already sold out. If your going, make sure your home for breakfast," the messages read, in a bid to sell tickets for the after-show events.

Ros Prior, a music fan whose mother died three years ago from multiple sclerosis, was one of the people who received the message.

"I just saw Mum and I started crying," said the 19-year-old, according to BBC News.

"Even though it was only two seconds of sheer panic it was horrible because you just do think, 'Oh my god. Is she still alive?'"

More: Parklife Weekender 2014 announces four additional stages, plus more acts

She said she was left feeling "upset" and "angry" and got in touch with organisers to complain.

"I wrote an email to Parklife expressing how angry I was and took a picture of it and put it on Twitter," said Ros.

"Since then people haven't stopped saying they feel the same and Parklife can't get away with this."

Organisers of The Parklife Weekender say the marketing campaign was only intended to be an "irreverent way to engage with festival-goers."

In a statement, Parklife said the text campaign may have caused "unnecessary personal distress" and would like to "apologise to them directly".

Snoop Dogg and Foals are to headline this year's Parklife festival, on Saturday 7 June and Sunday 8 June. Disclosure, Bastille, London Grammar and Kendrick Lamar are also on the line-up. Last year's festival was headlined by Plan B and Example.