Torrential rain and strong winds meant fewer than half the expected number attended, contributing to the worst year for takings in the history of the Channel Islands’ longest running music festival.
Islanders are being urged to show their support by buying early bird tickets or attending fundraising events to keep the festival afloat.
Ordinarily any proceeds go to charities such as Free Tibet, but this was not possible this year. It is the first time the festival has been in debt.
‘Raising money for charitable organisations is one of the main aims of the festival, and is one of the reasons it receives such great support from the community, so it’s incredibly frustrating that after all the effort everyone has put in to make it happen we are unable to fulfil that aim,’ said Vale Earth Fair Collective member Rob Roussel.
‘At its peak in 2009/2010 we sold 3,500 tickets. usually we expect around 2,000.
‘This year the weather was so bad, there was no break in it.
'Some years people keep an eye on the forecast and come down for part of it, but still buy a ticket, this year a lot of people stayed away completely,’ he said.
International acts are brought over regularly for the fair, which has been running since 1976. It also provides a chance for local bands to play in front of large audiences.
A team of volunteers create and decorate the stages as well as clear up and sort the rubbish every year.
‘If people stay away, it is not just the entrance fee we are losing out on, but also profits from bar and food sales and other income streams, so it has a knock on effect.
‘One of the major frustrations for event organisers is that very few people buy tickets in advance of events – it seems to be a Guernsey trait to leave it to the last minute – but as organisers we need people to commit ahead of an event so we know where we are, and so that certain costs involved in staging events such as ours can be paid upfront like flights and accommodation for bands for example,’ he said.
The Guernsey Arts Commission gave a £3,000 grant and a £5,000 underwrite was taken up by the Vale Earth Fair for 2018's festival.
‘We have already put early bird tickets on sale for next year’s Vale Earth Fair on our website priced at £15 for the weekend, and we’d really like to encourage people to go online and buy their tickets now so we can replenish our bank account and be able to afford to bring over the quality of acts regular festival goers have become accustomed to,’ he said.
To donate directly to the charities the VEF supports, go to burmacampaign.org.uk, www.freetibet.org and www.bridge2.gg.
To buy tickets or to make a donation go to www.valeearthfair.org/tickets.
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