Festival Chatter

[davidmjs]

How's this for a positive outlook (from US perspective)?  

https://www.stereogum.com/2080079/coronavirus-expert-says-concerts-wont-return-until-fall-2021-at-the-earliest/news/?fbclid=IwAR0QCbOFossdKXmyI_Q2C1fktK0zVyoRZvOCZc-npur9wXwxEU2hNl99Vh0

[blagden]

Surely Crops is the only summer festival still planning to go ahead (not that it will)?

[davidmjs]

Surely Crops is the only summer festival still planning to go ahead (not that it will)?

No, others haven't cancelled yet - Green Man, End of the Road etc.  But there won't be any this year...not a chance... (and reports like the one above suggest 2021 might be dodgy too now).

[DawnG]

Wickham, Wimborne, Priddy and Folk East haven't cancelled yet either

[Nick Reg]

New Forest is still on and, of course, GBFF which is much later.

[John From Austin]

How's this for a positive outlook (from US perspective)?  

https://www.stereogum.com/2080079/coronavirus-expert-says-concerts-wont-return-until-fall-2021-at-the-earliest/news/?fbclid=IwAR0QCbOFossdKXmyI_Q2C1fktK0zVyoRZvOCZc-npur9wXwxEU2hNl99Vh0

The only gigs not yet postponed/cancelled on my calendar are set for July. A smattering of additional gigs will allegedly happen in October. Wondering if any of this will actually take place.

[GubGub (Al)]

I think the simple fact is that nothing can take place until there are drugs to control this thing, either therapeutic or preventative, and that does not seem to be an imminent prospect.

[AdrianW]

Recent cancellations from efestivals
[POSTPONED] Happy Days Festival : statement. New dates of 29th-30th August 2020.
[POSTPONED] Warwick Folk Festival : statement. Back next year 22nd-25th July 2021.

[davidmjs]

[POSTPONED] Happy Days Festival : statement. New dates of 29th-30th August 2020.

Lol.  That'll work then.  Not.

[AdrianW]

[POSTPONED] Happy Days Festival : statement. New dates of 29th-30th August 2020.

Lol.  That'll work then.  Not.

Indeed.

[madsue]

What about Ely, Beautiful Days, and Larmer Tree?  Any news from them? And of course NFFF

[Albie]

I've been thinking for a couple of weeks that everything would go this summer, I can't see a single festival taking place, and football will be behind closed doors, or not played at all, until the Autumn at least. Gigs will be Autumn at least I think.
Bearded Theory postponed from Whit weekend to mid-September, which seemed reasonable at the time, but I can't see it happening now.
I would have gone to about 15 this summer, including a few little ones I haven't been to before. Oh well, maybe next year, although I won't be putting money on it just yet.  

[JeremyRS]

What about Ely, Beautiful Days, and Larmer Tree?  Any news from them? And of course NFFF

Ely cancelled a while ago, don't know about the other two.  The question all the organisers are worrying about though is not "when will the lockdown end?" but "will anybody come?".  I'm 60 and would happily go to the two remaining ones on my list (Folk East and Wickham) but others may not be so sanguine, particularly the over 70s.

[davidmjs]

What about Ely, Beautiful Days, and Larmer Tree?  Any news from them? And of course NFFF

Ely cancelled a while ago, don't know about the other two.  The question all the organisers are worrying about though is not "when will the lockdown end?" but "will anybody come?".  I'm 60 and would happily go to the two remaining ones on my list (Folk East and Wickham) but others may not be so sanguine, particularly the over 70s.

Are you sure?  Come to what?  It seems inconceivable that large scale public gatherings will be permitted anywhere in the UK in 2020, I'd have thought.  From what I'm reading, this pandemic will not be done and dusted until mid-2021 at the earliest....I'd have thought a more reasonable question would be "will there be any festivals in 2021 (and will anybody come if there is)"?

[JeremyRS]

What about Ely, Beautiful Days, and Larmer Tree?  Any news from them? And of course NFFF

Ely cancelled a while ago, don't know about the other two.  The question all the organisers are worrying about though is not "when will the lockdown end?" but "will anybody come?".  I'm 60 and would happily go to the two remaining ones on my list (Folk East and Wickham) but others may not be so sanguine, particularly the over 70s.

Are you sure?  Come to what?  It seems inconceivable that large scale public gatherings will be permitted anywhere in the UK in 2020, I'd have thought.  From what I'm reading, this pandemic will not be done and dusted until mid-2021 at the earliest....I'd have thought a more reasonable question would be "will there be any festivals in 2021 (and will anybody come if there is)"?

I don't think it will ever be "done and dusted", rather there will be an assessment of risk that determines what is and isn't allowed.  Look at what other European countries are doing for example. No large scale gatherings yet but they're coming.  When the lockdown ends here, whether all at once or gradually, there will still be 95%+ of the population who haven't had the virus although the risk of dying of it will vary dramatically. Politically, economically and above all what people will accept all I think mean that not allowing large gatherings for another year or more just won't wash (although of course the definition of large scale can and will be endlessly debated).

[Nick]

 It seems inconceivable that large scale public gatherings will be permitted anywhere in the UK in 2020

That word, permitted, is probably the nub of the question for all remaining festival organisers. Festivals are expensive businesses with the thinnest of margins. The ability to cancel a festival without it collapsing is probably more dependent on the insurance policy than anything else. It may be that some festivals need to be ordered to cancel before they can afford to do so.

As for Beautiful Days; their latest announcement:

07 April update – Firstly, we want to send our love to you all during these very difficult and worrying times. And our sincere thanks of course go out to all the frontline NHS health and social care workers.
It’s a critical time right now and filled with much uncertainty as to what will happen over the coming weeks and months. The health & safety of our festival-goers, artists, staff and crew is our main priority and we are monitoring carefully the ongoing situation with COVID-19. In the event of cancellation due to the coronavirus we want to reassure everyone that refunds would be available.
We will let you all know immediately of any further developments with BD2020 in the meantime be kind, stay positive and most importantly for now – stay home. BD x

Cheers

Nick

[davidmjs]

 It seems inconceivable that large scale public gatherings will be permitted anywhere in the UK in 2020

That word, permitted, is probably the nub of the question for all remaining festival organisers. Festivals are expensive businesses with the thinnest of margins. The ability to cancel a festival without it collapsing is probably more dependent on the insurance policy than anything else. It may be that some festivals need to be ordered to cancel before they can afford to do so.

As for Beautiful Days; their latest announcement:

07 April update – Firstly, we want to send our love to you all during these very difficult and worrying times. And our sincere thanks of course go out to all the frontline NHS health and social care workers.
It’s a critical time right now and filled with much uncertainty as to what will happen over the coming weeks and months. The health & safety of our festival-goers, artists, staff and crew is our main priority and we are monitoring carefully the ongoing situation with COVID-19. In the event of cancellation due to the coronavirus we want to reassure everyone that refunds would be available.
We will let you all know immediately of any further developments with BD2020 in the meantime be kind, stay positive and most importantly for now – stay home. BD x

Cheers

Nick

Good point, Nick.  I'm sure you're right about that.

[JeremyRS]

Absolutely Nick, in which case lets hope we don't have another "we're not ordering pubs to close just advising you not to go" farce.

[Nick Reg]

I've been thinking for a couple of weeks that everything would go this summer, I can't see a single festival taking place, and football will be behind closed doors, or not played at all, until the Autumn at least. Gigs will be Autumn at least I think.
Bearded Theory postponed from Whit weekend to mid-September, which seemed reasonable at the time, but I can't see it happening now.
I would have gone to about 15 this summer, including a few little ones I haven't been to before. Oh well, maybe next year, although I won't be putting money on it just yet.  

Football behind closed doors wont work , there will be loads who will turn up outside grounds and try to find a vantage point . Football crowds don't behave as well as festival crowds. I went every week to football for over 55 years til I stopped 5 or 6 years ago, I just got so peed off with the so called fans.

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Absolutely Nick, in which case lets hope we don't have another "we're not ordering pubs to close just advising you not to go" farce.

If that happened would it give festival/event organisers carte blanche to hold onto people’s money as they had ‘chosen’ not to go, rather than the event being cancelled?