Pledge Now Buy Later. A Pledge To Buy Could Save The Festival From Being Another Coronavirus Cancellation
A Message of hope from the Festival Director
As I write the Coronavirus is affecting everyone in a way none of us has ever experienced before. Clearly it is not yet under control and no one can predict how much worse it is going to get, nor how long it will take to get our lives back to normal once the problem has officially cleared.
All events from major festivals to small club gigs are being cancelled, no event is surviving even though the government has not yet given any clear guidelines on the matter. Yesterday the Colne Blues Festival, scheduled for the end of August became the latest victim, postponed for a year.
The Carlisle Blues/Rock Festival is still over six months away and I feel, at this stage, it is just a little early to cancel but the way things are going at this moment it’s not looking good.
The best we can realistically hope for, to get over the worst of the pandemic, is probably 12 weeks which would take us to the middle of June. After that, we could reasonably expect a further 12 weeks for restrictions to be lifted and to get things back to normal, which would take us into September. At that point it may be possible to run the festival, however, and here’s the difficulty, it’s unlikely that that would leave time to sell enough tickets to make it financially viable. With that in mind, the decision to hold the event is a very tricky one. What would help a favourable decision, or at least delay an unnecessary cancellation, would be an assurance that enough tickets would sell in a short space of time, if and when the virus risk has cleared – see Pledge To Buy below.
Understandably no one is buying tickets during this crisis nor would anyone be expected to until the storm blows over, so here is an invitation, call it a plea if you wish, to help this situation. Once the all-clear is given it’s reasonable to assume that everyone will want to get out of the house, enjoy live music and even party again but promoters, more than ever before, are going to need help, they simply are not going to be able to exist on people buying tickets late or just turning up and buying on the door. Without pre-sales, or at very least a commitment to attend, they are going to cancel well in advance, they will be left with little or no option.
The decision to delay an early cancellation of the Carlisle Blues/Rock Festival 2020 can be helped massively by a ‘Pledge To Buy‘, should the coronavirus situation clear in time to hold the event. If enough people were to pledge that they would buy tickets, (should the event go ahead), it may just save the day and give us all something to look forward to later in the year.
HERE ARE TWO THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE SITUATION.
SIMPLY SEND AN EMAIL TO: carlislebluesfest@btinternet.com AND STATE WHICH TICKET YOU PLEDGE TO BUY AND IN WHAT QUANTITY (should the event go ahead)
Please ensure you include your name and a contact number.
THE SECOND THING IS TO PASS THIS PROPOSITION TO AS MANY OF YOUR FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE
The Tickets that still available:
Package Deals i.e. Weekend Tickets with accommodation at the venue (Crown & Mitre Hotel)
Double Room (limited number), Twin Room, Triple Room. (Superior and Club rooms also available)
Friday Ticket
Saturday Ticket
Sunday Ticket
Weekend Ticket
More ticket and general information available at www.carlislebluesfestival.com
Should the event be forced to cancel, tickets will be transferable for the 2021 event on October 8-10th or refunded in full.
Obviously it will be much better for the festival going forward if the transfer option is taken by as many as possible.
Take care and keep safe
Nick Westgarth
Festival Director/Organiser