Attendance

[Adam]

It is noticeably quieter than usual. The Security guard reckons it is 8,000 down on last year...

[Dan O.]

Last year's 50th Anniversary factor would have increased attendance...

[davidmjs]

Last year's 50th Anniversary factor would have increased attendance...

Lineup, Lineup, Lineup...I guess Brian wasn't the big draw they were expecting?

It has the same capacity every year.  It's not just sold out on anniversary years, is it?    

That is some serious financial hit...I hope they're not taking a big hit.

[GubGub (Al)]

Last year's 50th Anniversary factor would have increased attendance...

Lineup, Lineup, Lineup...I guess Brian wasn't the big draw they were expecting?

It has the same capacity every year.  It's not just sold out on anniversary years, is it?    

That is some serious financial hit...I hope they're not taking a big hit.

I have only ever known it sell out 3 or 4 times and that does tend to be in the big anniversary years. Having the big name on Thursday is an insurance factor to sell enough weekend tickets. That may or may not have worked this year but Oysterband posted that there were about 14000 people there on Thursday which should be enough. I think weather will have been a factor. People undecided by the line up and planning perhaps to roll up last minute may have been put off by the long hot summer not being quite long enough and turning into a cold damp weekend.

[Penguin (Dunc)]

Last year's 50th Anniversary factor would have increased attendance...

Lineup, Lineup, Lineup...I guess Brian wasn't the big draw they were expecting?

It has the same capacity every year.  It's not just sold out on anniversary years, is it?    

That is some serious financial hit...I hope they're not taking a big hit.

Sold out the first year Marillion played in 2014, that was the last time I was there too....  

[peterh13]

They were very late announcing the full lineup. Perhaps some people had spent their limited funds by that time.

[David V B]

It has certainly been quieter this year and very pleasant for it. Think last year’s sense of occasion will have been a major factor.

As for the lineup, it was actually why we decided to go having originally intended to take a break. Weren’t disappointed either - generally very good throughout and enjoyed everyone we wanted to see,

[richardkendell]

I would be surprised in the numbers were 6 to 8000 down. It was certainly a bit less crowded but the field was surely not 1/3 empty.

[YaBB Master (Colin)]

The best guess was between two and three thousand down. It just seemed to make it that little bit more comfortable and felt like a typical non-anniversary year.

They sold out of programmes, but not t-shirts.

[richardkendell]

That sounds about right to me

[Sue & Chris]

Yes, when the field was full it felt like an average year. Only it was rarely full because the rain kept sending folk scuttling elsewhere.

[Bingers (Chris)]

The best guess was between two and three thousand down. It just seemed to make it that little bit more comfortable and felt like a typical non-anniversary year.

They sold out of programmes, but not t-shirts.

Agree the size of the crowd was about right for me for comforts sake...even meant I didn’t have to queue for the loo or maybe I just got my timing right this year  

[David W]

The best guess was between two and three thousand down. It just seemed to make it that little bit more comfortable and felt like a typical non-anniversary year.

They sold out of programmes, but not t-shirts.

Which means £250,000 down at least - I guess they knew this hence the less than stellar lineup.

[davidmjs]

The best guess was between two and three thousand down. It just seemed to make it that little bit more comfortable and felt like a typical non-anniversary year.

They sold out of programmes, but not t-shirts.

Which means £250,000 down at least - I guess they knew this hence the less than stellar lineup.

That's a real chicken and egg conundrum...

[richardkendell]

So what sort of acts would £100,000 buy?
A headliner like Alice Cooper/Brian Wilson would cost what?

[Nick Reg]

I will go whoever's on but it was the poorest lineup for many years. Some good ones of course (Brian, oysterband, Sam Kelly, Al Stewart, Travelling Band) but not all are crowd-pullers. If anything would make me stay away it would be artists like Fish

[richardkendell]

I quite liked the mix of artists. I don't like prog rock so "only" having to put up with Fish was OK by me. Al Stewart I really like which more than compensated for the Levellers (who I don't)

[Wandering Steve]

I will go whoever's on but it was the poorest lineup for many years. Some good ones of course (Brian, oysterband, Sam Kelly, Al Stewart, Travelling Band) but not all are crowd-pullers. If anything would make me stay away it would be artists like Fish

I’m the same and would go come What May but I feel a tipping point was reached this year.
The paying public are the best barometer to whether the line up is correct.
Imo the likes of al Stewart,fish,travelling band and levellers should have been nowhere near this years line up.
All acceptable but too much same old same old and the punters aren’t buying it.
Pierce brothers consecutive years,marillion et el three years running,al Stewart only played a couple of years ago.
This was my eleventh cropredy and I think the levellers have played three or four.
The event I love but the line ups need a proper overhaul.
What was missing this year was the 30/40 yo age bracket,I’d suggest the reason being that the beach boys wouldn’t interest many and like me they’d seen the levellers before.
Same old same old
It is no surprise when a top notch act like madness,Alice cooper,seasick steve play then people attend.
Next year needs to be so much better,that is if the damage has not been done.
I’d never seen the field so empty on a Thursday night and it emptied quickly on Friday night when I heard quite a few people moaning about the levellers set with a couple leaving half way through describing it as absolute rubbish(I actually liked it but I guess if you’ve paid to see the levellers as the main draw and then they play acoustically I can understand it)

A lot more effort is required to book headline acts who are really that....
Headliners.
Like it or not that is what sells out the festival nowadays.
You don’t get 22,000 to see fairport,a sixties band and a band who’ve played countless times.
There are plenty of decent 80s/90s bands who will fill the field like madness and they are what are needed.
Even a really good 70s act may do the job.
That is what the floating attendee wants as has been proved and maybe now it’s time for fresh thinking and fresh faces as far as booking the acts goes.

[davidmjs]

I think you're right, but it also proves absolutely that everything that made this festival what it was (a celebration of Fairport & their musical family) is now no more.  For better or for worse it is just another festival on the summer circuit....  

[Wandering Steve]

I think you're right, but it also proves absolutely that everything that made this festival what it was (a celebration of Fairport & their musical family) is now no more.  For better or for worse it is just another festival on the summer circuit....  

I still think cropredy is unique
It is fantastic with fantastic attendees(the best at any festival)
It is an institution in the calendar and at its best is unmatchable.
I like listening to fairport and in whatever incarnation the band should always headline Saturday...
But
It does need better headline acts that you can either get up and dance to or sing along to.
That is the crux
Whoever is doing the booking has gone stale or needs replacing imo
FWIW they will need to up their game to new levels because I am privy to a few of next years brasenose fringe acts and they are amazing.....