44 replies to this topic

[eFestivals]

gratedenini, on 21 October 2010 - 02:43 PM, said:

Re "take-overs" ... looking around...there doesn`t seem to be an abundance of fest sceaming out for a take-over (from a business point of view). Apart from a handful which seem to be "untouchable"...who`d be putting money into any of the rest? Esp in these troubled times.

I'm aware of a well established fest that's currently trying to sell itself to one of the more major operators, but it's a fest with some difficulties. My own guess is that the attempt will come to nothing and the fest will disappear, but I hope not as it would be a definite loss to the festie scene.

But I expect it's a scenario that'll be repeated more regularly over the next five years. Festivals have had a good upturn in the last ten years, but like all things which have a fashionable phase the fashion fades sooner or later, and that impacts on the scene as a whole. Mixed in with that is the 'mainstreaming' of festivals which has led to festivals now being considered safe enough to take your grannie to when people used to be sacked if they told their boss they'd been to a festival, which has driven away to some extent the people who gave festivals their base to grow from, while the mainstreamers don't and won't have the same attachment to keep them going.

I can see difficult times ahead for the festivals that don't have a mainstream line-up, or which don't have enough of their own identity to keep attracting the non-mainstreamers, or which have simply got stuck in a fashion rut when fashion has moved on.

[5co77ie]

The takeover makes more sense now:


http://www.witneygaz...idation/?ref=mr

[timespeedsup]

That's unfortunate, especially the charities losing out.

I'd be interested to know whether the alleged £1.2m paid to Paul Simon for his appearance was the going rate, given what's written in that article.

[Medina]

O.K.  I know Cornbury has received some bad publicity after losing loads of money in previous years and being labelled "Poshstock' (and worse)... but having just returned from this year's Cornbury Festival in its new location at Great Tew I have to say I enjoyed a fantastic weekend on a gorgeous site with some great music and a host of other entertainment.  The organisation was excellent.  Plenty of friendly stewards and car park marshals.  Good facilities including clean loos.  Even the sun shone!

Perhaps worth noting given some of the other comments on this thread is that there were a variety of local stalls including a quite superb Tea Tent where the profits were going to local schools and charities.

Having read all the adverse comments before attending I just felt I had to say this was a seriously top-class festival that ticked all the right boxes this year.  Well done.

[Sunny1]

Medina, on 04 July 2011 - 03:34 PM, said:

Having read all the adverse comments before attending I just felt I had to say this was a seriously top-class festival that ticked all the right boxes this year.  Well done.

Just got back too - fabulous weekend - even better site than previously (been attending since 2005)

Tea tents (2) plus spit roast supporting local schools and charities.

Much better layout of stages and judging by the numbers attending, the people have stuck with Hugh and supported him in his bid to keep Corbury as independent as possible. I really hope this quaint and lovely festival can continue as it gets better and better each year.

Musical highlights were The Straights, Buffy Sainte Marie, Urusen and The Saw Doctors