Cardiff Mardi Gras will not go ahead this year, the organisers have confirmed.

The event was scheduled to take place on 6 September at Coopers Field behind Cardiff Castle but Safer Wales, which organises the event, has said it has been called off due to a "lack of financial and community support."

The free event has been held every year since 1999 and has previously attracted up to 40,000 revellers.

Growing costs and increasing demands on the unpaid committee has apparently led to the decision.

"The Mardi Gras committee have given extensive personal time and effort without payment to ensure the event is considered to be one of the front runners in the UK gay pride event calendar," Mark Williams of Safer Wales told the BBC.

"The high demands placed on committee members have made it difficult to retain volunteers and attract new ones."

The group hopes to host the event again in 2009.

Celebrities such as Steps, Lisa Scott Lee, N Trance, Charlotte Church and Bucks Fizz have appeared at the festival in previous years.