​DJ Rob da Bank wins court case over ‘unpaid’ festival loan

Bestival founder and electronic artist Rob da Bank has won a court case in which the DJ was alleged to have not repaid a £650,000 loan toward the festival.

The Isle of Wight native, real name Robert Gorham, won the four-year-running case last week after being sued by his loan provider TicketLine who alleged that the former Radio 1 DJ had “refused” to repay the £650,000 loan that would help save the festival in 2018.

“Truth and justice prevailed… thanks team da Bank for supporting us through 4 years of [shit]… we [love] you,” he tweeted on Friday, June 10, shortly after winning the case.

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Gorham spoke on behalf of himself and his wife, Josie, to Mixmag today: “Josie and I are so happy and relieved that truth and justice have prevailed and four years of exhausting legal proceedings are behind us…”

As well as thanking his legal team, Gorham added: “We’d like to thank the electronic and dance community who have stood by us in our fight and we are so proud to be part of that family.

“With Bestival turning 20 next year it feels like a good time for us to be planning parties and celebrating once more… so thank you and see you in a field under the sun or stars soon!”

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In 2018, Gorham took out a loan to prop up his founding event Bestival which was close to being cancelled due to financial difficulties and a lack of portable toilets. The festival received a last-minute cash injection of £249,000 saving the 2018 event.

“Justice has been done: while the case against Robby changed many times, he maintained from the outset that no money was loaned to him personally, and so it has been found,” said Russell Strong, Partner at Greenwoods Legal LLP, representing Mr Gorham.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter