Glastonbury 2021 cancelled.

[ambient]

I’m not surprised. It’s sad though, I was reading an article last week, in which the organiser Emily Eavis said that they risk bankruptcy if it doesn’t take place. I’ve never been, but watch most years on TV. It would be a real shame if it ceased to be.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jan/21/glastonbury-2021-officially-cancelled-due-to-covid-pandemic

Edited January 21, 2021 by ambient

[Crawford13]

It is a shame, the whole live music industry has been destroyed by the lack of financial support during the pandemic.  I am genuinely worried that it will take many years to recover. 

[gjones]

1 hour ago, Crawford13 said:

It is a shame, the whole live music industry has been destroyed by the lack of financial support during the pandemic.  I am genuinely worried that it will take many years to recover. 

True but I'm sure there will be a hell of a demand for live music, when this thing is over.

People will be desperate to party like it's 1999.

I know I will be.

[Cato]

I can't see any of the big festivals taking place this year.

Even if it's looking like the vaccine is doing it's job by summer there will be a fair few baby steps before crowds of that size are allowed to gather and mingle again.

[Lozz196]

I`m hoping that Rebellion still goes ahead in August, however it`s an indoor festival with 10.000+ people so potentially it may also be cancelled.

[Crawford13]

23 minutes ago, gjones said:

True but I'm sure there will be a hell of a demand for live music, when this thing is over.

People will be desperate to party like it's 1999.

I know I will be.

I sure hope so mate, 

And hopefully we still have talented support crews, and they haven't all been forced to permanently change careers in order to survive. 

[taunton-hobbit]

1 hour ago, ambient said:

I’m not surprised. It’s sad though, I was reading an article last week, in which the organiser Emily Eavis said that they risk bankruptcy if it doesn’t take place. I’ve never been, but watch most years on TV. It would be a real shame if it ceased to be.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jan/21/glastonbury-2021-officially-cancelled-due-to-covid-pandemic

Sad news, but I'm having problems with the 'bankruptcy' bit - this is a large working farm aside from the festival and as such surely would carry on as normal (as much as can be achieved at the moment ) ?

😎

[Woodinblack]

Hardly seems surprising.

Mind you, also puzzled about the bankrupcy as it is a farm which should be pretty sustainable as a going concern without glastonbury, and without the venue he doesn't have the expenses.

I am sure his fox and badger killing mates can help him out with a few quid anyway, not like he hasn't given them enough.

[ambient]

54 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said:

Sad news, but I'm having problems with the 'bankruptcy' bit - this is a large working farm aside from the festival and as such surely would carry on as normal (as much as can be achieved at the moment ) ?

😎

It’s what I read. Maybe they lost a lot of money after cancelling last year? I guess they have to book an awful lot of infrastructure and services well in advance, and pay deposits for them?

Edited January 21, 2021 by ambient

[ambient]

6 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said:

Sad news, but I'm having problems with the 'bankruptcy' bit - this is a large working farm aside from the festival and as such surely would carry on as normal (as much as can be achieved at the moment ) ?

😎

 

2 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Hardly seems surprising.

Mind you, also puzzled about the bankrupcy as it is a farm which should be pretty sustainable as a going concern without glastonbury, and without the venue he doesn't have the expenses.

I am sure his fox and badger killing mates can help him out with a few quid anyway, not like he hasn't given them enough.

My mistake, it was her father, Michael Eavis.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/25/michael-eavis-glastonbury-will-go-bankrupt-if-it-cant-be-staged-in-2021-coronavirus

[Cato]

5 hours ago, taunton-hobbit said:

Sad news, but I'm having problems with the 'bankruptcy' bit - this is a large working farm aside from the festival and as such surely would carry on as normal (as much as can be achieved at the moment ) ?

😎

It's always been a bit murky how much the festival makes.

Theoretically all the profits go to good causes, but at the same time  the Eavis family pay themselves a fairly large wage for organising the festival and I believe they also pay the farm maintenance and 'rent' for hosting the event.

Even so I don't think it's super-lucrative on the scale of earning the organisers tens of millions.

Edited January 21, 2021 by Cato

[Maude]

I've taken it to mean they could face bankruptcy if the festival was cancelled further down the line after a serious amount of money had been spent on organising it. Hence the decision to cancel now before they're in too deep. 

I don't know how things like this work but I wonder if big artists have a clauses in their contract that they still need part or full payment if the booking is is cancelled. 

Probably a lot of the money taken up front from all the vendors is spent in the run up on other things, and if cancelled would need returning. 

[Al Krow]

My understanding is that many farmers have not done that well financially for a long time. Being able to supplement their income with beer / music / other festivals is often a life line. 

Obviously Glastonbury will have provided very well indeed for the Eaves over the years and, why not: a wonderful concept which has been fantastically executed, so good luck to them. And I'm sure we all wish them the best in getting through the crushing effects of the pandemic. 

[Steve Browning]

It does seem a bit of a stretch that they facing ruin after so many years of operation. Hay seems in short supply now that the sun has gone in.

Edited January 21, 2021 by Steve Browning

[taunton-hobbit]

Probably worth pointing out that each festival is a new & separate limited company ;

nothing wrong with that, it makes financial sense, but the 'B' word would only apply to that (or those)

particular company(s) - I think someone is laying it on a bit thick.

😎

[Steve Browning]

1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

Didn't take long did it? 😂

You were quick./ I decided it was daft almost immediately.

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, Steve Browning said:

You were quick./ I decided it was daft almost immediately.

Good man. 

[bassace]

A long spell of rain can have a devastating effect on the farming part of the business. All the ink gets washed off the subsidy cheque.

 

 

I’ll get my smock.

[Marvin]

I've read that article a number of times now and nowhere does it say that 'Glastonbury' or the Eavis family or their farm will go bankrupt having to cancel this or any other year's festival.

 

Quote

UK festival organisers have said they face cancellation and possible financial ruin if the government does not institute an insurance scheme to protect them from bankruptcy in the event of cancellation owing to the pandemic, similar to a scheme that has kept TV and film productions in business.

There is a part that says Festival Organisers in general are asking for a govt backed insurance scheme if they have to cancel festivals, which is quite another thing. It is something that smaller festival organisers need. 

[ambient]

10 minutes ago, Marvin said:

I've read that article a number of times now and nowhere does it say that 'Glastonbury' or the Eavis family or their farm will go bankrupt having to cancel this or any other year's festival.

 

There is a part that says Festival Organisers in general are asking for a govt backed insurance scheme if they have to cancel festivals, which is quite another thing. It is something that smaller festival organisers need. 

It mentions it in the link in my follow-up post. It’s from a Guardian article a few weeks ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/25/michael-eavis-glastonbury-will-go-bankrupt-if-it-cant-be-staged-in-2021-coronavirus

[taunton-hobbit]

.. Breathe ............. and quote :

 

Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis fear they could be in serious financial danger if the festival was cancelled again due to coronavirus.

Speaking exclusively to the Guardian to mark the festival’s 50th anniversary, Michael said: “We have to run next year, otherwise we would seriously go bankrupt … It has to happen for us, we have to carry on. Otherwise it will be curtains. I don’t think we could wait another year.”

I had a quick look at Glasto's accounts earlier ( it's online ) and they seem to have around 9mil float -= even my ex would have problems getting through that doing not a lot ...........

😎

[Dad3353]

It would appear, having read the article, that there are ongoing expenses incurred, building village homes, for instance, and having a new water reservoir built for future festivals. Expenses already committed, and rather medium/long term, and so 'dependant' on the continued festival income. I may have mis-read, but that's the gist of it.

[ambient]

48 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

It would appear, having read the article, that there are ongoing expenses incurred, building village homes, for instance, and having a new water reservoir built for future festivals. Expenses already committed, and rather medium/long term, and so 'dependant' on the continued festival income. I may have mis-read, but that's the gist of it.

That’s it isn’t it, I guess it’s easy to think they just provide a field. You don’t necessarily consider long term planning and expenditure.

Someone on Facebook was just saying that if - as seems likely considering what’s going on - everyone who’s already bought tickets asks for their deposit back, then that could cost them up to £5 million.

[taunton-hobbit]

Which is an interesting thought -

if those deposits were paid to that year's company, does another company legally have to fund them?

😎

 

[ambient]

10 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said:

Which is an interesting thought -

if those deposits were paid to that year's company, does another company legally have to fund them?

😎

 

Legally I wouldn’t know, morally I would say yes. When does one company start and another end though? Wouldn’t everything pertaining to this year's festival be under this year's company? 
 

Do they sell tickets through an agency or direct? If it’s through ah agency then they’ll be taking a hit too.