UK festival cancelled due to cost of living crisis

Organisers of Plymouth’s 1 Big Summer festival have cancelled the event’s 2023 edition, citing the cost of living crisis.

The two-day event, which debuted last year over the Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend with acts such as Example, The Libertines, Years & Years and Supergrass, had been set to return to Hoe Park from 25-26 August.

But despite tickets already going on sale, promoters say a “perfect storm” of factors have persuaded them to pull the plug on their plans.

“The 1 Big Summer Music Festival have decided to cancel the 2023 event due to the cost of living crisis”

“The 1 Big Summer Music Festival have decided to cancel the 2023 event due to the cost of living crisis,” says a statement posted on the festival’s website. “A perfect storm of rising costs, reduction in sponsorship income, an end of support for tourism and hospitality such as VAT reductions and an unprecedented strain on people’s disposable income have sadly left the event untenable for this year.

“All ticket holders will be refunded automatically within 21 days. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We hope to return in the future.”

The festival was originally due to launch in 2021 but was postponed due to the pandemic. The Ibiza Orchestra Experience was the only act to have been announced for this year’s line-up.

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