Fairport Convention

Organisers of this year’s Cropredy’s Fairport’s Convention near Banbury announced today that they have called off this year’s Oxfordshire festival again.

Festival Director Gareth Williams said: “We’re left with no other choice than to postpone our festival until 11-13 August 2022. We have reached the point where we’d need to spend big money without any certainty we could go ahead.

“we’ve tried everything we can to keep going”

“Like the rest of the festival industry, we’ve tried everything we can to keep going but I’m afraid we would be placing Cropredy’s future in serious jeopardy if we were to wait any longer. The dilemma we are facing is very simple – go ahead and risk potentially going out of business or postpone for a year and live to fight another day.”

FAIRPORT STAGE

So far, despite over six months of lobbying, the government has failed to support any form of Covid-related cancellation insurance scheme for the festival industry. Also, there has been no guidance on what mitigations might be required after lockdown finally ends. This has made it effectively impossible to plan this year’s event and many other festivals.

“They’ve worked through some of the most difficult challenges our industry has ever known”

Gareth added: “I have spoken to all the acts booked for Cropredy this year. They, and their representatives, have provisionally agreed to transfer the bookings to the same days and times in 2022. This means we will carry forward the same great line-up into 2022. I am sincerely grateful to the acts, their managers and agents for their understanding and support.”

Acts included: The Trevor Horn Band, Clannad, Edward II, Thumping Tommys, Fairport Convention Acoustic, Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited, Turin Brakes, Sharon Shannon, Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Martyn Joseph, Home Service, Emily Barker, Maddie Morris, Richard Thompson, Matthews Southern Comfort, Rosalie Cunningham, The Bar Steward Sons Of Val Doonican, Holy Moly & The Crackers and Richard Digance.

Fairport Convention

All tickets purchased for the 2020 and 2021 festivals will automatically roll over to 2022. This will help keep the festival going throughout the coming months as organisers prepare for next summer. 

Gareth thanked festival-goers and everyone involved in the planning of the event. “I want to thank you all for the understanding you’ve shown in this. Of course, if you can’t attend in 2022 you will be entitled to a refund.

“I promise that we will return and when we do it will be AMAZING:

“I also want to thank everyone involved in the planning of the festival so far. They’ve worked through some of the most difficult challenges our industry has ever known. We are grateful for the Culture Recovery Fund grants we’ve received – as intended, the funds have filtered through to our suppliers and helped them keep going through these lean times.”

“The last 15 months have been an incredibly frustrating time for all musicians and Fairport are no exception. We are obviously in regular contact, and I know they were really looking forward seeing everyone at Cropredy next month. Having to postpone comes as a bitter blow to them.”

Cropredy

Gareth added: “This is a pretty emotional time in the Festival Office as you can imagine. It is the second festival I have had to postpone – on my watch! However, I promise that we will return and when we do it will be AMAZING! If festival-goers can hold on to their tickets, please do. Knowing they will be with us again next year means a great deal to us at this time. We will see everyone in the field at Cropredy next year but until we do, on behalf of all at Team Cropredy, please look after yourselves and each other.”

For anyone who cannot roll their tickets over to 2022 and require a refund, please contact The Ticket Factory. A link will be published on the festival website later today. https://www.fairportconvention.com

Oxfordshire’s Truck Festival was cancelled last week with Cornbury also postponing their annual event a few months ago. News on The Big Feastival and Wilderness is expected soon but at the moment both are still going ahead.

SARAH EDWARDS