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Big Gig and Legends in the Park been cancelled after a headliner pulled out “very late in the day.”
It is the first time in around a decade that the annual weekend-long music fest will not go ahead.
Organisers had this year planned to bring over Craig David to close the Howard Davis Park-based July music festival, but the last-minute withdrawal of the headliner for Legends in the Park – the festival’s initial retro part of the weekend – meant that it was not financially viable to go ahead for just one day only. They also confirmed that it would not be possible to hold the event with local bands only because their aim was always to bring “big-name acts to Jersey and this is reflected in the ticket price.”
“Unfortunately due to the cost of staging the event it isn’t financially viable to hold the event without the draw of a big-name headliner,” the website read.
Nonetheless, organisers added that they were already looking to arrange for Mr David to visit the island in future.
We’re hugely disappointed to announce that we have had to make the very difficult decision to cancel this year’s Sure Big Gig.
— SURE BIG GIG (@BigGigJersey) May 2, 2018
Anyone who has already purchased a ticket is entitled to a full refund.
Please visit our website for more information: https://t.co/ckZpDzHFy4…/ pic.twitter.com/xXRZZbS1kc
Festival founder Caroline Strachan said that the team behind the event was “hugely disappointed” to have had to make the “very difficult decision.”
“Unfortunately we have been let down very late in the day by the act we had been working with for Legends in the Park and regrettably, despite doing everything we could to put the event on, it hasn’t been possible to find a replacement at such short notice. Craig David’s team have been very supportive and appreciate that many of his fans will be disappointed but we would like to reassure you that we are in discussions to bring him to the island in the future.
“We are incredibly saddened to let down all those who were looking forward to the Sure Big Gig including people who had bought tickets, the other acts who were performing, the fantastic charities we were supporting and our loyal sponsors and suppliers.”
Full refunds will be offered to those who have already bought tickets, with ticket agent 365 set to contact ticketholders within the next two weeks.
Video: Highlights from headliner Olly Murs at last year's Big Gig.
Mrs Strachan added that headline sponsor Sure would make a donation of £1,000 to the festival’s two main charities Help a Jersey Child and Teenage Cancer Trust on Big Gig’s behalf.
Sure Head of Marketing, Louise Burrows, added: We are enormously disappointed that circumstances outside of everyone’s control have resulted in the unfortunate but necessary cancellation of this year’s Sure Big Gig.”
“We know that Caroline and her team did everything in their power to hold the event as planned and would like to thank them for their efforts. The Sure Big Gig is a wonderful event that supports worthy local children’s charities and we look forward to continuing to support it into its 10th year in 2019.”
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