Cambridge Folk Festival, which has been running since 1965 and is one of England’s oldest and most prestigious folk festivals, has been cancelled for 2025, due to the loss of money in 2024 and the need to look for new opportunities instead of continuing to host the festival. Global headliners like Robert Plant, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Van Morrison, Lady Blackbird, Peggy Seeger and Suzanne Vega have performed at the event, and it attracts around 14,000 people every year. It is held at Cherry Hinton Hall and organised by the Cambridge City Council.
Robert Dryden, Labour councillor for the area, said the festival had lost money in 2024, but the cancellation came as a “big shock” that would “disappoint lots of people”. He felt “People come from all over the world, it’s part of their holiday…this is going to be a big disappointment to lots of people.” Liberal Democrat councillor, Cheney Payne, said the decision had been made without “wider discussion with other councillors to consider alternative options”. She added, “this is incredibly disappointing for such a loved and long-established event, for which people travel from miles away and adds to the culture of Cambridge.”
Cambridge City Council, which has now decided to cancel this year’s event, has announced that it wants to hear from previous and potential new audiences and views this decision as an “important step in the evolution of the festival.” Furthermore, the council confirmed that it will continue to support the folk community with a series of locally-based events throughout Cambridge. “The festival has such a special legacy, and we are committed to seeing it thrive for future generations as it has done over the past 60 years,” a council spokesperson said. “It is dear to us too and we are committed to using our resources this year to explore new opportunities ahead of returning in summer 2026 with a fantastic festival.”
This decision could impact many people who were looking forward to attending this year’s event, which has been a significant part of Cambridge’s culture for 60 years. Although it is a decision made by the council to explore new and exciting opportunities, it seems that the Council needs to discuss its decision path and consequences. This could lead people to worry about the other similar events that could get cancelled or changed in the future. The council needs to show that the cancellation of a similar event would not be made at such an expected and short notice
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