Rhythm Festivals is cancelled

This year's Rhythm Festivals due to be held over the August bank holiday weekend at Mansion House, Old Warden Park, near Biggleswade, in Bedfordshire has been cancelled.

A statement from organiser Jim Driver says:

"Hi,

I am hugely saddened to have to announce that Rhythm Festivals 2012 can not take place as over the weekend of August 24-26 at the Mansion House, Old Warden Park in Bedfordshire, as planned.

A whole series of glitches and problems made it impossible to carry on. The weather, the Olympics, the Jubilee, the economic downturn and a dozen other factors, including the "domino effect" of other events not happening, all played their part. I fought long and hard to make it work for 2012, but today I have to admit defeat and hope that three week's notice will give you time to make alternative arrangements for the Bank Holiday.

Ticket-holders will be offered a full refund or will be able to use their tickets in 2013. Please give me a few days to sort out a returns procedure and do not send your tickets back yet as we need time to co-ordinate everything and notify the various agencies and outlets. (Anyone who has booked online over the last few days and whose order has not been processed, will receive an automatic refund over the next 5-10 days).

The aim is to postpone the festival until 2013 and we are inviting back the acts who were booked for 2012 and hope that they can make it next year.

I really am very sorry that we can't meet up with you at Old Warden Park in three week's time. My team and I really did work incredibly hard to try and make the festival happen, but over the last couple of days it became clear that was impossible. I can only apologize if you took time off work or booked hotels and travel.

I will send another email in a week or so to give more details and to outline the refund process.

I know you'll be disappointed, but believe me, nowhere near as "gutted" as I am.

Cheers

Jim."

Rhythm Festivals was due to offer three days of three festivals in one plus a host of 'fringe events', will return for its seventh year over August bank holiday, from Friday 24th until Sunday 26th August 2012 at Mansion House, Old Warden Park, near Biggleswade, in Bedfordshire.

All three festivals would have operated simultaneously over the August Bank Holiday Weekend in different parts of the same 500 acre site, with some shared facilities (children's entertainment; camping, toilets and showers; certain bars and entertainment) plus unique, specialist stuff in the Folk and Blues Fields. A "Land Train" is being booked to ferry people around.

Rhythm Festival was due to offer a line-up of Rhythm Folk, Rhythm Blues, and Rhythm Roots, plus comedy and "fringe events".The line-up included Hawkwind, The Slackers (USA), The Beat, Peatbog Faeries, Jim Moray Band, Wilko Johnson, Geno Washington & Yo-Yo Blues, Booker T, The Damned, Ardal O'Hanlon, Denis Alcapone (Jamaica), The Strawbs, The Ian McMillan Orchestra, The Blues Band, Big Boy Bloater, Ken Boothe (Jamaica), John Cooper Clarke, Show of Hands featuring Miranda Sykes, Lau, Scott Matthews, Oli Brown Band, Hat Fitz & Cara, Michael Messer & The Second Mind Band, Crosstown Lightnin' (featuring Charles Shaar Murray), and more.

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