A popular music festival in the Comox Valley will not return next year for the first time in 30 years.
The Board of the Comox Valley Folk Society and staff of the Vancouver Island MusicFest announced no festival will be held next year due to the current economic reality and cultural changes.
Festival Artistic Director and Executive Producer Doug Cox said the decision to cancel the event next year wasn’t an easy one.
“It’s a hard day for us all but it’s time for us to pause and consider the future of our event and make strategies for a sustainable future.”
The festival has been a staple at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds, featuring a wide variety of artists for the past 30 years.
For the event to work, organizers say they would have to raise ticket prices much higher to make it work, making it inaccessible for lots of community members and loyal supporters.
Organizers said decreasing sponsorships, zero local funding, and reduced ticket sales are all factors in the pressure they face.
“It’s all caused us to realize, for the moment at least, our festival model is no longer sustainable in the Comox Valley.”
Numerous other festivals around the world have faced similar situations given the costs more than doubling post pandemic.
