THIS year’s Festival Number 6 will be the last for ’time being,’ organisers have said.

Since its debut in 2012, the unique Portmeirion setting and innovative mix of music and arts has brought delighted festival goers, numerous awards and international recognition to Festival No.6.

In their statement released on Thursday morning, the organisers explain the reasons for the decision and that a hiatus, saying the complexities of the Portmeirion site meant the festival was ’not sustainable in its current format’.

Fans of Festival No.6 can however “rest assured that this September’s event will be an amazing party fitting for the end of this first chapter in the No. 6 story”.

The statement reads: “When we started Festival No.6 we had one aim - to create a completely new type of festival in a location unlike any other, catering for a different type of audience. Over the past six years, we’ve done everything we can to bring you an unrivalled festival experience in a truly unique setting, driven by a desire to do things differently.

“No.6 has always been more than just a music and arts festival. It’s the ultimate escape from reality, a place you can see your favourite artists in a breath-taking setting, or discover new acts you’ll want to see again and again, a place where performers are as inspired as the audience - a platform to present new work and collaborations in unique and intimate venues, a place like no other where like-minded individuals gather and embrace new ideas, inspired to take risks and push boundaries.

“In six short years the profile of the festival has far outgrown its intimate capacity, picking up numerous awards, gaining international recognition and becoming one of the world’s most unique festivals. We always knew we had something special but we never quite expected it to capture people’s imagination the way it has.

“Running Festival No.6 hasn’t been without its challenges. Portmeirion is a complex site and we’ve had fun adapting and reinventing the festival every year but unfortunately No.6 is just not sustainable in its current format and so we’ve made the difficult decision to take a breather – 2018 will be the last Festival No.6 for now. We will of course be throwing an almighty party this year and will make sure it’s the most outstanding No.6 to date!

“We want to thank everyone who has been a part of the Festival No.6 journey so far, including all the incredible artists and performers, our brilliant crew who work tirelessly in challenging circumstances, our loyal suppliers, our team of forward-thinking programmers and partners, Gwynedd Council, the Welsh Government Major Events Unit, the local community and our good friends Portmeirion – without their trust and support No.6 would have never have happened in first place.

“Most importantly, we want to thank everyone who has ever joined us at Festival No.6 over the years. Taking a break is the right decision but not all is lost, we’re already thinking about the future… As Sir Clough Williams-Ellis said, ‘Cherish the past, adorn the present and construct for the future’.”

The 2018 line-up, which may be the last, includes headliners The The, Friendly Fires and Franz Ferdinand as well as an array of award-winning poets, chefs, authors and musicians.