UK fest cancelled due to ‘oversaturated market’

The UK’s This is Tomorrow festival has been cancelled for 2022, with organisers blaming an “oversaturated market” for the decision.

The 15,000-cap event in Newcastle’s Exhibition Park sold out last year, when it featured performances by headliners including Sam Fender, Gerry Cinnamon and Dermot Kennedy. It was set to return from 3-5 June, but no acts had been announced and the event has now been pushed back to 2023.

“We are sorry to tell you that we have taken a business decision to not run This Is Tomorrow festival this year,” says a festival statement. “It’s disappointing we know, but we can promise you a seriously strong line up of acts when we come back with a bigger and better event on 26-28 May in 2023.

“We appreciate your support in buying early bird tickets for this year but, with an oversaturated market and an ongoing economic crisis, 2022 is not the time for the festival to expand further and build on last year’s success.”

“The recent discussions and restrictions placed on the licence for Exhibition Park present a challenge, but this is not the reason we are choosing to have a year off”

Kilimanjaro Live stepped in to stage This is Tomorrow 2021, held last September, after allegations of inappropriate behaviour and bad business practices” were levelled against Newcastle-based promoter SSD Concerts. The claims also led to mass cancellations at SSD’s Hit The North Festival in Newcastle last October after the firm released the findings of an independent investigation.

Chronicle Live reports that Newcastle City Council imposed strict new limits on large-scale events in Exhibition Park – including heavier restrictions on noise levels – following a flurry of complaints from residents regarding last year’s festival. However, organisers say that was not a factor in the cancellation.

“The recent discussions and restrictions placed on the licence for Exhibition Park present a challenge, but this is not the reason we are choosing to have a year off, and we are looking forward to This is Tomorrow returning to its traditional place in the calendar during the May bank holiday weekend,” adds the statement.

“We have begun the process of refunding all of you who took advantage of the early bird offer – and we hope to be in a position very soon when we can announce our exciting plans for 2023.”

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