Features Sonisphere Cancelled: Future Of Festivals?

For most of us, yesterday was a fairly average Wednesday afternoon. That was until news began to filter through the airwaves that Sonisphere Festival was… cancelled? It’s safe to say that when the rumour hit, it came as a bit of a shock. The line-up had its strengths, the headliners were sizeable and there was a definite sense of excitement surrounding the whole thing. We’re only left to ask the question, ‘why?’.

Sonisphere have released an official statement regarding the decision, which details that ‘unfortunately circumstances have dictated that we would be unable to run the festival to a standard that both the artists and that Sonisphere’s audience would rightly expect,’ but we remain somewhat unsure of what those circumstances are. It’s easy to assume, and the top of the list of assumptions is, unsurprisingly, money.

The words ‘credit crunch’ have been too commonly thrown around; for as long as I care to remember, the fear they bring has been ever-looming over our heads. But, as we stand, every industry is at risk of financial struggles. You just need to take a walk down your local high street to see the number of closed stores to realise that this is an issue. Huge names in the retail industry have already confirmed troubles, or gone into administration; whether they be the likes of Woolworths and HMV or more recently, Game. When you work within an industry as creatively-driven as music and entertainment, it’s easy to wonder – or worry – about when the worst will have passed.

We’re no strangers to the idea that certain areas of the music industry struggle to make a profit, and it would be naïve to say that live shows would not be effected by a recession, but that doesn’t make it any less unsettling. In 2010 alone thirty four festivals were axed due to financial issues, while in the middle eight months of 2011, a staggering thirty one events fell to the wayside (via PSN Europe). This year, Glastonbury (admittedly, not for financial reasons), Oxegen and The Big Chill are all taking a break. Even smaller scale events, such as Middlesbrough’s annual free festival Intro (previously known as Music Live), have been axed because they were unable to cover costs.

Last year, Stereoboard were questioning the staying powering of festivals as big as Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds, quoting Michael Eavis (you know, the founder of the Glasto) as saying: ‘It’s on the way out. We’ve probably got another three or four years. Womad and Latitude are not selling out. We sell out only because we get huge headliners. In the year Jay-Z played we nearly went bankrupt.’ With record lows of ticket sales being rumoured on all fronts, it’s more than just a little worrying.

So, where does this leave us? Granted, the loss of Sonisphere will inevitably see others gain. With ticket holders being issued full refunds, they may decide to visit other summer events – most notably, festival ‘rivals’ Download, or perhaps the aforementioned Reading & Leeds. In contrast, some festivals are getting braver; Slam Dunk for example, are extending their reach and coverage with more events, but in turn higher ticket prices. Some organisers are even attempting to establish themselves within the already competitive market, with new festivals cropping up all the time.

Right now though, things are very much up in the air. No one really knows what will happen next to any event, and it all feels like one big risky game. So yes, whilst some of you might quite simply not give a damn about this newest cancellation, one thing’s for sure: with Sonisphere gone, no one looks likely to be a winner any time soon.