Upbeat Festival cancelled (From Bournemouth Echo)
When news happens text pix and video to 80360. Start your message with BE then leave a space.
Upbeat Festival cancelled
10:00am Saturday 18th August 2012 in News
Crowds brave wet weather at last year’s Upbeat Festival
A POPULAR music festival which last year attracted crowds of 3,000 has been cancelled just a week before it was due to take place.
The Upbeat Festival was due to take place at Upton Country Park over the August Bank Holiday weekend – but organisers announced yesterday that they were cancelling it as the wet summer looked likely to make costs spiral.
Tickets for the three-day event had been on sale for some time and crowds were set to see chart toppers The Feeling, as well as Dodgy, The Zombies and a host of top tribute bands and local acts perform.
The devastated organisers – the team behind Mr Kyps in Ashley Cross– said their hands had been forced ‘by a combination of poor weather and difficult trading conditions’.
The wet weather, which is anticipated to continue, made it likely that the car park and site would have been churned up during the set up of the event and by the 1,000 or more cars expected to turn up over the weekend, they said.
It left them facing the prospect of additional costs to hire hard standing and make good any damage to the grounds, adding significantly to costs and making the event unsustainable.
Festival director Kyp said he wanted to thank everyone who had worked hard behind the scenes and those who had bought tickets.
He added: “It’s gut-wrenching to be honest.
“It’s the weather leading up to it that we were concerned about.
“We can’t risk people getting hurt or anything like that. We just have to crack on and hopefully the weekend will still be a good one.”
Councillor Judy Butt, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Public Engagement and Participation, said: “We are sad to hear that the organisers have had to cancel this year’s Upbeat Festival but understand their reasons for doing so.”
She added: “We very much hope the event comes back next year and we will be working hard with the organisers to ensure the festival returns to Upton Country Park in 2013.”
In a bid to rescue what they could of the event, some of the acts will perform in Mr Kyps over the course of the weekend.
They include Fleetwood Bac, JK as Robbie Williams, Rat Race, The Great Pretender, Bootleg Blondie, Souled Out and RU40.
Tickets are available at mrkyps.net Refunds for tickets already sold are at available from Bournemouth’s BIC on 0844 576 3000.
Comments(13)
KatieBrook
says...
10:22am Sat 18 Aug 12
RageAgainstTheMachine
says...
10:45am Sat 18 Aug 12
KatieBrook wrote:Where ever have you been? to actually believe the live music scene is dead. I travel all over the country to see some of the top best rock bands,however many decided not to do big uk tours this year due to the Olympics and Jubilee.
The bands were never stong enough to make people cough up the money ( tribute bands ) + The live music scene is dead ( killed by x factor etc ) unless the band is at the very top :(
Anyone who wastes money on seeing tribute bands wants to go and see the real thing and appreciate good music. I saw a dodgy Neil Diamond tribute (not through choice) years ago and it still makes me cringe now.A relative of mine claims if you go to see tribute artists and shut your eyes its just like the real thing.......one she drinks rather too much and how would she know the last real band she saw was the original line up of the nolans ha.
Im off to a real festival next weekend the Reading festival,even this years line-up is quite poor however i expect the Foo Fighters will make up for it.
BBC Escapee
says...
10:56am Sat 18 Aug 12
KatieBrook wrote:How can live music be dead - we've got Rizzle Kicks!
The bands were never stong enough to make people cough up the money ( tribute bands ) + The live music scene is dead ( killed by x factor etc ) unless the band is at the very top :(
I'm sure that they would have been available now their olympic gigs are behind them!
alasdair1967
says...
11:07am Sat 18 Aug 12
Dennis40
says...
11:57am Sat 18 Aug 12
Telscombe Cliffy
says...
11:59am Sat 18 Aug 12
wonderway
says...
12:55pm Sat 18 Aug 12
Cross_Your_Arms_Look_Angry
says...
1:20pm Sat 18 Aug 12
pw1965
says...
2:10pm Sat 18 Aug 12
pw1965
says...
2:11pm Sat 18 Aug 12
ScoobyVic
says...
5:30pm Sat 18 Aug 12
manyogie
says...
5:43pm Sat 18 Aug 12
pw1965 wrote:quite right too, poole park was a diary date for us living by the park.
Overpriced and rubbish bands=poor ticket sales-what did they really expect! The weather is just a poor excuse! Bring back Pool park (free) Bank holiday festival!!
P Barker says...
10:21am Sat 18 Aug 12