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Hop Farm Festival cancelled

By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 3 May 2013

Vince Power has announced the cancellation of this year’s Hop Farm Festival, due to take place on 5-6 Jul, citing poor ticket sales as the reason for the decision.

As previously reported, Power salvaged the Hop Farm brand from the collapse of his festivals company Music Festivals plc last year. He announced its return in March, with dates planned for this July. However, as the return was announced, local paper Kent On Sunday reported that many Hop Farm Festival suppliers, including the local police force, were left a total of £4.8 million out of pocket when Music Festivals went under.

Power strongly denied that the levels of debt reported by the paper were correct, adding: “The local rag is supposed to be for the community. The Hop Farm Festival is loved by the people of Kent and there is no value in spreading inaccurate reports and doubt with regards to The Hop Farm Music Festival. In the words of Winston Churchill, ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts’”.

This afternoon, Power issued a statement via the Hop Farm Festival website saying: “It’s with great regret that we have to announce the cancellation of the Hop Farm Music Festival 2013. We have worked very hard to try to make it work but it has proved too much a of mountain to climb and despite fighting hard, circumstances are such that based on poor ticket sales and the forecast selling rate substantial losses would be made”.

Ticket holders should seek refunds at the point of purchase.