Sark Summer Festival organisers cancel event

However, organiser Simon Couldridge has said the event could return next year.

The three-day music festival had been due to take place between 9 and 11 August.

But with four months to go, Mr Couldridge said the ticket sales were not strong enough to risk continuing.

‘It was highly successful last year,’ he said.

‘We had 1,400 to 1,500 people on the site and everyone had a brilliant time and said that we should do another one.’

However, ticket sales have been weak, despite attempts to make it more affordable, such as offering festival and boat tickets bundled together and cutting the price of single-day tickets.

All the ticket holders have been contacted and tickets are being refunded.

Mr Couldridge said they were leaving the door open to holding a festival next year.

Last year was the first Sark Summer Festival, which was described as a great success. It was held after the organisers of the Sark Folk Festival announced they were taking a break. The inaugural festival saw 1,000 tickets bought in advance and hundreds more sold on the day. It is not known how many tickets had been sold for this year’s event.

On social media the festival organisers said despite last year’s success, the event lost £10,000.

On social media some ticketholders said they were disappointed by the decision.

‘Absolutely gutted,’ said one person. ‘I booked flights from Exeter, the ferry and got my tickets on the day they were put on sale.

‘Is there any hope that locals will still put something on? Own guitars etc?’

n The Sark Folk Festival takes place from 5-7 July.