A string of acts lined up to play next month's crowdfunded Alt-Fest are reporting it has been cancelled – but there is still no official word from organisers.
The inaugural event in Kettering, Northampton, was to take place in just over two weeks – on the weekend of August 15-17. Headliners included Fields Of The Nephilim, Marilyn Manson and The Cult. Also lined up were Gary Numan, Killing Joke and over 170 others.
Manson tonight updated the gig listings on his official website and on Facebook, with Alt-Fest now marked as “cancelled”. Other acts due to play, including Cradle Of Filth, have also reported that they have been told the event is off.
Billed as “the international celebration of alternative music, art and culture,” the festival was to be a triumph of people-power, with £61,762 having been raised via a Kickstarter campaign – but it’s believed organisers failed to secure all the funding they needed to cover their costs.
Rumours began circulating on Tuesday after some artist representatives suggested their advances hadn’t been paid as expected, but festival organisers remained silent. The Alt-Fest website went down for a time as fans tried to find out what was going on.
Simon Hall of English metal band Beholder, who were set to headline Alt-Fest’s Sophie Lancaster Stage, reported: “I got confirmation via text message but also spoke with some of the main stage acts and they’ve also been told.
“We were open to this whole thing and extremely excited about headlining – but it leaves me hollow to think so many fans, traders and support staff will end up losing out.”
Promoter Rob Ferguson of Transcend Music, who had several artists due to play at the festival including main stage headliners Fields Of The Nephilim, tweeted: “Well, what a surprise. Alt-Fest is no more. I feel extremely sorry for all those who will undoubtedly lose money. Bad times.”
Alt-Fest organisers posted an update on their official Facebook page at around noon today offering a coach service from Wales to the festival site. Just hours later the cancellation rumours began and the organisers have been silent since.
They have so far failed to respond to hundreds of posts from fans – many of whom have booked hotels and made travel arrangements from around the UK and even further afield – asking them to address the reports that the event has been pulled. They have also not replied to TeamRock’s requests for an official update.
From their launch announcement at the end of 2013, Alt-Fest bosses attempted to distance themselves from other summer weekenders, saying: “We want to be the festival that you take a part in creating, and where you see your voice actively making a difference.”
It’s not currently known how or when refunds will be paid to those who’d bought tickets.
