Ashton Court Festival company folds

United Kingdom | | 20 July 2007

Bristol Community Festival, the not-for-profit company which organises the annual Ashton Court Festival, has started the process of winding up the company.

The directors have been in dicussions with insolvency practitioners with a view to appointing them to liquidate the company.

Heavy rain over the weekend of the 2007 event forced the cancellation of the second day's entertainment resulting in financial losses which the organisation cannot sustain.

The directors met on the 19 July and concluded that there was no realistic prospect of continuing and reluctantly took the decision to fold the company.

"It's a real tragedy that after 33 years we've been beaten by events beyond our control," said festival chairman Kevin Rooney.

"After last year's difficulties we moved heaven and earth to save the festival and by Saturday night it looked like we'd succeeded. Being dealt this severe blow at the last minute is absolutely devastating."

Ashton Court Festival has been going since 1974 and at one point was believed to be Europe's biggest free music festival.

The two-day event hit a financial crisis in 2006, from which it never truly recovered from, however the weather at this year's event appears to have been the final death knell. Read our review HERE.

Acts to have played during its illustrious history include Portishead, Roni Size, Robert Plant, Simple Minds and The Stranglers.

The future of the Ashton Court Festival looks pretty bleak, however such is its history and pride of place within the Bristol community that we wouldn't bet on it returning.