City of London Festival closes after 53 years

City of London Festival 2015

Monday 22nd June to Friday 10th July 2015
St Pauls Cathedral, St. Pauls Churchyard, City of London, Greater London, EC4M 8AD, England MAP
from free to £50

Last updated: Mon 18th May 2015

The City of London Festival has been brought to a close. Inaugurated in 1962 to revitalise the cultural life of the City it had established itself as one of the UK's leading arts events. For over 50 summers it brought the City of London's unique buildings and outdoor spaces to life with an extensive artistic programme of music, visual arts, film, walks and talks, much of it free to the public with a wide-ranging and eclectic programme which includes music, drama and poetry, installations and exhibitions of visual arts, film screenings, architecture, walks and talks.

Organisers have announced the following statement,

"With great sadness, and after a long and vibrant history, the City of London Festival will be closing.

In 2014, a new direction was sought for the festival which resulted in new initiatives, introduced new audiences, raised the festival profile and was received with considerable acclaim.

However over the years the funding landscape has become ever more competitive and despite receiving support from a range of valued sponsors and supporters it has become increasingly difficult to attract the level of funding necessary to stage the annual festival.

After a lengthy consultation with the City of London Corporation (the festival's largest single donor) and assessment of all possible ways forward, the Festival Board have had to take the very difficult decision to close the City of London Festival, with the Corporation undertaking to assist with all aspects of the closure.

This is a sad time for everyone associated with the organisation, including all the festival staff that have contributed during the 53 year period, creating such a positive impact and animating the City with arts and culture each year.

We would like to thank all the brilliant artists and performers who have taken part in the festival over the years, our generous supporters, the wonderful City venues, not to mention our loyal volunteers and audience members who have supported the festival for so long. The support has been enormously appreciated."

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