THE woman who brought the Big Chill festival to Herefordshire has resigned from her post.

Katrina Larkin, who co-founded the boutique music festival which takes place in the grounds of Eastnor Castle in Ledbury every August back in 1994, stepped down as creative director at the weekend.

She leaves the annual event in the hands of Festival Republic - the company behind Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds festivals.

Miss Larkin said: “It’s obviously a very significant step for me to take but it is one that was agreed last year when Festival Republic bought the Big Chill festival.

“We intentionally didn’t put a time limit on this process, as it is something that is impossible to predict with any accuracy. Instead, we chose to wait until both of us felt happy that the time was right for the festival.

“I feel completely happy that I’m leaving the Big Chill in the safest pair of hands in the country.”

But Pete Lawrence, who helped found the festival with Miss Larkin, has already voiced concern that the Big Chill is changing.

Speaking in August he told entertainment website beehivecity.com that the event had lost its heart and now needs famous headliners in order to sell tickets.

When Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn visited Eastnor earlier this year he reassured Big Chill goers that the relaxed atmosphere and chilled out ethos would not alter.

• Next year’s festival will run from August 5 to 7. The first acts will be announced in spring 2011.