Organiser of Sussex open air festival vows to return despite losses (From The Argus)

Organiser of Sussex open air festival vows to return despite losses

8:57am Tuesday 24th July 2012 in Business News By John Keenan, business editor

Festival organisers have vowed an open air concert will go ahead again next year.

Meadowlands took place over the weekend of June 1-3 at Glynde Place, Glynde, near Lewes. Tickets cost up to £85 for a weekend ticket and £45 for a day ticket.

The headlining acts were Lamb, Speech Debelle and Fink. Other artists on the line-up included North Atlantic Oscillation, Anchor Song, Nordic Giants, Portico Quartet and Tom Williams and The Boat. The organiser, Meadowlands Events Ltd, was headed up by Brighton-based directors Lee Bennet, Mark Crook and Marco Pitt.

According to reports in the music trade press, the directors have written to the artists’ managers warning that although the event is “committed” to eventually paying the acts involved, it can’t currently afford to do so as the event has “lost a considerable amount of money”. In a letter obtained by trade newspaper Music Week, the directors warn that “right now, we have no available funds”, though they have paid “all of the infrastructure costs as a priority to ensure that we can put the festival on again next year”.

The letter also warns that the festival’s directors have personally underwritten investments to “ensure the company does not go bankrupt”.

A spokesman for the festival told The Argus that some acts had been paid but that a discrepancy came to light after the event. He also said that torrential rain over the weekend had resulted in poor ticket sales.

The spokesman said: “There is no question of the company seeking liquidation. The directors are doing everything in their power to make sure all the acts are paid. Meadowlands will return next year.”