A music and arts festival organised by Croydon Council has been cancelled to make way for the launch of Boxpark, the leader of the council has confirmed.

Ambition festival had been due to return to the town centre this month after a successful debut last year that featured music acts including Soul II Soul and Tinariwen as well as theatre, dance and art.

In March the council announced the second edition of the festival, which was shortlisted for two national awards last year, would be held at Boxpark to coincide with the highly anticipated opening of the food and drink pop-up shopping mall next to East Croydon station.

RELATED: Croydon's Ambition festival set to return in the summer with Boxpark link-up

But following last week's announcement of a two-day music event to herald Boxpark's delayed launch at the end of October, council leader Tony Newman admitted plans for the second annual instalment of Ambition had been quietly shelved.

He said: "Last year it was Ambition, this year it's Boxpark.

“Because Boxpark are doing the event they're doing, and we're working with them on that, we'll make that the focus.

"Maybe next year it will be Ambition and Boxpark. The real success will be that we have a lot of this stuff happening, regularly, more than we do."

Ambition festival was spread over four days last year and featured a number of free events held across a seven outdoor stages and other town-centre venues.

It was shortlisted for best new festival and best metropolitan festival at last year’s UK Festival Awards.

VIDEO: A peek inside plans for Boxpark Croydon pop-up mall

First-release tickets for the first day of the Boxpark launch festival on October 29, featuring well-known grime artists including Wiley, Ghetts, Novelist and special guests, have already sold out, with only £20 tickets still available.

Tickets for the NME-sponsored event on the second day are free and those hoping to attend can register online for a ballot.

Boxpark Croydon was originally scheduled to open this summer. Modelled on the company's successful Shoreditch pop-up shopping mall, the project has been funded with the help of a £3m loan from Croydon Council.

A Boxpark spokeswoman said the company was considering a soft launch ahead of the October 29 and 30 event, although an opening date has not been confirmed.

RELATED: NME and Grime superstars including Wiley and Ghetts to open Boxpark Croydon at two-day festival

Cllr Newman denied he was disappointed with delayed launch, adding: "It's a big project, there's issues out of their hands and ours. But they've overcome them, and now it's full-steam ahead.

"The crucial thing is that it hits the ground running and it works. What's a few weeks when you're looking years ahead?"

Visiting the site on Thursday to survey the jigsaw of shipping containers beginning to take shape, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan hailed Boxpark as a "good example of how you can have some of the country's leading companies come to Croydon".

He was joined on the visit by Radio 1Xtra DJ Sian Anderson, who is set to spin records on the first day of the launch festival.

Asked who the special guest for the festival might be, Ms Anderson said she had "no idea".

But she added: "I just know that he shuts down."

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