Rhythm Festivals - CANCELLED 2012

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
Rhythm Festivals has been cancelled.

A statement from organiser Jim Driver says:

"Hi,

I am hugely saddened to have to announce that Rhythm Festivals 2012 can not take place as over the weekend of August 24-26 at the Mansion House, Old Warden Park in Bedfordshire, as planned.

A whole series of glitches and problems made it impossible to carry on. The weather, the Olympics, the Jubilee, the economic downturn and a dozen other factors, including the "domino effect" of other events not happening, all played their part. I fought long and hard to make it work for 2012, but today I have to admit defeat and hope that three week's notice will give you time to make alternative arrangements for the Bank Holiday.

Ticket-holders will be offered a full refund or will be able to use their tickets in 2013. Please give me a few days to sort out a returns procedure and do not send your tickets back yet as we need time to co-ordinate everything and notify the various agencies and outlets. (Anyone who has booked online over the last few days and whose order has not been processed, will receive an automatic refund over the next 5-10 days).

The aim is to postpone the festival until 2013 and we are inviting back the acts who were booked for 2012 and hope that they can make it next year.

I really am very sorry that we can't meet up with you at Old Warden Park in three week's time. My team and I really did work incredibly hard to try and make the festival happen, but over the last couple of days it became clear that was impossible. I can only apologize if you took time off work or booked hotels and travel.

I will send another email in a week or so to give more details and to outline the refund process.

I know you'll be disappointed, but believe me, nowhere near as "gutted" as I am.

Cheers

Jim."

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Rhythm Festivals offers three days of three festivals in one plus a host of 'fringe events', will return for its seventh year over August bank holiday, from Friday 24th until Sunday 26th August 2012 at Mansion House, Old Warden Park, near Biggleswade, in Bedfordshire.

Line-up

Friday

Rhythm Festival: Hawkwind, The Slackers (USA), The Beat, Three Bonzos & A Piano, The Men They Couldn't Hang, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Swans in Flight.
Rhythm Folk: Peatbog Faeries, Jim Moray Band, Lucy Ward, Jamie Smith's Mabon.
Rhythm & Blues: Wilko Johnson, Geno Washington & Yo-Yo Blues, Buick 6, Mitch Laddie Band.

Saturday

Rhythm Festival: Booker T, The Damned, Ardal O'Hanlon, Denis Alcapone (Jamaica), King Mob, The GRoundhogs, Here & Now, The Captain Sensible Band, Hank Wangford & The Lost Cowboys, The Magic Tombolinos, Virgil & The Accelerators, The Barker Band, Leatherat, Pearl Handled Revolver.
Rhythm Folk: The Strawbs, The Ian McMillan Orchestra, Richard Digance, David Knopfler, Travelling Band, Wishing Well (Aus), Faeries Wear Boots
Rhythm & Blues: The Blues Band, Big Boy Bloater, Chantel McGregor, Dave Kelly, Lucy Zirins

Sunday

Rhythm Festival: Ken Boothe (Jamaica), John Cooper Clarke, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, David Rodigan, Boomtown Rats, John Otway Big Band, Delroy Williams & The Junction Band, Mystery Juice, King Hammond, Macavity's Cat, Attila The Sockbroker, Barnstormer, Intensified, Big 10.
Rhythm Folk: Show of Hands featuring Miranda Sykes, Lau, Scott Matthews, The Moulettes, Katriona Gilmore & Jamie Roberts, Damh The Bard
Rhythm & Blues: Oli Brown Band, Hat Fitz & Cara, Michael Messer & The Second Mind Band, Crosstown Lightnin' (featuring Charles Shaar Murray), Cherry Lee Mewis, Bare Bones Boogie Band.

Rhythm Festival becomes Rhythm Festivals in 2012, with artists appearing across three areas for the first time offering Rhythm Folk, Rhythm Blues, and Rhythm Roots, plus comedy and "fringe events".

Tickets

The early bird offer has ended. An adult all events weekend ticket is priced at £119 (includes free youth/ child when bought together) with additional youth/child (aged 5-17 years) tickets priced at £60. Infants (under 5 years) are free when accompanied by adult ticket-holders. Camping and accommodation extra.

A Folk Festival or Blues Festival Pass only pass is priced at £80, with youth/child (aged 5-17 years) tickets priced at £35.

Camping is priced at £36 per tent, a caravan/campervan ticket is priced at £50, and a single room with 3 nights basic student accommodation with bed & breakfast (one person only) is priced at £75.

Tickets are on sale for individual events priced at £70 for the weekend for adults or £35 for an extra child.

More info

The Rhythm Festival is to have 2 stages: Big Rhythms and Happy Rhythms whilst the two new events, Rhythm Folk and Rhythm & Blues will each have their own areas, dominated by two huge big-top stages. Camping and lots of other attractions will be shared.

New this year and available to ticket-holders for all three Rhythm Festivals are Fringe Theatre performances in the The Old Dick Theatre and an extensive programme of Literary & Poetry Events. Comedy (again programmed by Jesterlarf Comedy Club of Cambridge) will return in 2012 as will other old Rhythm favourites, including the Groovy Movie Picture House (free solar-powered cinema), DJ Wheelie Bag in the Tavern Bar and more children's entertainment, including Panic Circus and the Junior (London) Olympics. Many more new attractions, and big name acts for these attractions will be added in the coming weeks.

Ethos

Rhythm Festival aims to be different from other outdoor music festivals, by being smaller (a capacity of under 5,000), friendlier and geared towards the festival goer. There's a kid's field (including things like mini olympics, workshops, entertainers and Panic Circus), a healing/alternative culture field, and a comedy stage.

Amenities

The festival has a general store, as well as a large variety of high quality food at sensible prices. Plus, real ales, beers & lagers from the Pot Belly Brewery, Wells & Young's of Bedford as well as guest ales, and real ciders.

The festival site is semi-permanent, and includes flush toilets (augmented by portaloos), and proper roads and pathways. The arena is a drained grassy amphitheatre and many attractions are housed indoors. Showers have been hired for the (supervised) campsites and there'll be free car parking adjacent to the festival site.

More details will be here when available.

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