Hop Farm 2012

[MaxMaz]

More bad news for the festival?

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2012/august/23/leonard_cohen.aspx

Sounds like they couldn't guarantee the event to Cohen or the promoters.

[johnl]

That's a blow. It does suggest that the festival if it does go ahead might be in a different place. A shame because I really loved my first HF this year.

There was me thinking ooohh Fleetwood Mac and Depeche Mode - two quality headliners sorted!

[fairy_]

This is a few days old now but as it hasn't yet been posted... http://www.kentnews.co.uk/home/hop_farm_festival_organisers_go_into_administration_1_1527225

[MaxMaz]

Glad I didn't get an early bird ticket this year, but very sad if the festival doesn't continue. It was great.

[Paul ™]

Shame, I enjoyed working Hop Farm and now it leaves a hole in my working calender too but am sure Vince will bounce back somehow hopefully.

[glasto-worker]

This is a few days old now but as it hasn't yet been posted... http://www.kentnews.co.uk/home/hop_farm_festival_organisers_go_into_administration_1_1527225

[eFestivals]

Shame, I enjoyed working Hop Farm and now it leaves a hole in my working calender too but am sure Vince will bounce back somehow hopefully.

I'm not sure that's true - from the tone of what I've read i get the feeling he's thrown the towel in.

[fairy_]

I'm not sure that's true - from the tone of what I've read i get the feeling he's thrown the towel in.

[johnl]

I see Depeche Mode could squeeze a Friday 5 July gig into their schedule quite easily if we get a HFMF next year...

[fairy_]

I've just seen this message on the facebook page:

Ian, The Hop Farm Music Festival is fine, it will go ahead in 2013, the 1st weekend in July as we have already announced a while back. The PLC has suffered but the festivals themselves will still carry on as planned. It has been a very tough year all round for most festivals, even the biggest didn't sell out, so the festival business is licking it's wounds after an awful year. But we will prevail, we always have and we always will. We have offers out on a number of bands and hope to announce the 1st acts towards the end of the year. Vince and all of the team thank you for your support it does mean a lot to us that you are supporting us. We will be sending out a full press release soon. Thanks Ian.

[glasto-worker]

I bought an early bird ticket last year, so fullish price, and am thinking of doing the same this year. They've not been clear whether it's a 2 or 3 day event next year which is why I haven't yet bought a ticket, as I want to support the festival.

I'm really undecided about the cheap tickets, I bought one in 2011 to see the Eagles, £5.60 from Supajam, and it's got me to return to the festival again at full price. But I do think the huge danger is that Vince is damaging the brand of the festival as people are now expecting cheap tickets and not buying early on. Once you get that sort of reputation it's hard to shift, just look at some high street stores that are struggling.

I'm really interested to know how close the festival came to not happening this year as it sounds like the line up was a massive struggle, and the turnout seemed pretty low on the actual days.

[fairy_]

Time will tell if it will be held or not.

[glasto-worker]

well according to the message posted above it is going ahead, so they must be quite certain already

[eFestivals]

I know Vince personally for the past twenty odd years and he will do things his way - so he will sail very close to the wind and even if there is only a slight chance he can get the money together he will still sell advance tickets.

I'm of the belief that Vince now has no infuence over what happens with Hop Farm - once a company is in administration it's run by the administrator and not the owner.

It's also been reported that Vince has refused to put any further money into the company (despite having big wedge), so it appears that he's given up and quit for good now.

I've also heard - tho I can't be certain it's true - that the Hop Farm (site) wasn't paid for this year's fest, which is why the Lenard Cohen gigs got moved from there; I believe it was a case of "no pay, no show". That aside, there's issues with that site as suitable for festivals, as one organiser discovered to his dissatifaction this summer.

Given that the Hop Farm has never made money it would be a right dafty who would buy it. Why buy a damaged event rather than start your own?

[eFestivals]

well according to the message posted above it is going ahead, so they must be quite certain already

it's an asset of a company that's in administration. If they say it's not going ahead then it ceases to be an asset of any value (not that i think it's an asset of any value anyway), and the adminstrators can't recoup all of the money they might do if they could sell it. So they'll say it's going ahead and hope someone buys it.

Sasying it's going ahead means nothing at the end of the day for whether it wuill go ahead.

[Paul ™]

I've also heard - tho I can't be certain it's true - that the Hop Farm (site) wasn't paid for this year's fest, which is why the Lenard Cohen gigs got moved from there; I believe it was a case of "no pay, no show". That aside, there's issues with that site as suitable for festivals, as one organiser discovered to his dissatifaction this summer.

Edited October 29, 2012 by Paul ™

[eFestivals]

What was the other organisers issues with the site?

I'd rather not go into details but it fucked up the festival enough for that organiser to have decided to move sites before the festival was over.

[LondonTom]

O_o all very weird goings on with Vince and Hop Farm then...

Shame really! I think it lacked any real identity as to who it was trying to attract...just seemed like they was throwing together the line ups at the last minute the last couple of years.

[johnl]

I think one of the biggest problems they had last year was not releasing the line-up until way after the other festivals. Money is/was tight and I think people who only had the budget for one or two festivals chose other festivals because HF took so long to come up with anything and people just couldn't keep waiting for HF.

I've been to quite a few other festivals and from a punter's point of view the HF site is really good.

I think there is a market for a festival that leans primarily (but not exclusively) towards " heritage" acts and I hope someone will give it a go. Personally I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of sponsorship coming in if it means the festival surviving in some form or another.

[eFestivals]

I think one of the biggest problems they had last year was not releasing the line-up until way after the other festivals.

yep, that's defo a problem, but from what I've heard it's not a problem of Vince's making but something which has been forced on him as the result of the actions of others.

[kevinboyle82]

I'd rather not go into details but it fucked up the festival enough for that organiser to have decided to move sites before the festival was over.