The decision was not an easy one, says trustees, who explained in the light of the ongoing cost of living crisis it is no longer financially viable for them to host the festival.
Simon Barker, trustee of Looe Saves the Day charity, said: “As trustees of the Looe Saves the Day charity we are very disappointed at the sad news that this year’s Looe Live festival will not be going ahead as planned.
“Yesterday [August 25] we were informed by the festival’s commercial organisers South West Bars and Events that, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the impact of the cost of living crisis and increased costs means that this year’s event is not financially viable, leaving them with no alternative but to cancel.”
They have given assurances that all tickets will be refunded in full and all suppliers paid.
Simon continued: “Although the community element of the festival is managed by our charity, we are reliant on the infrastructure provided by SWB&E. Whilst we looked at whether we could still stage this part of the festival, the loss of this SWB&E framework and the incredibly short timescale of less than three weeks to make alternative arrangements, means that we have been left with no choice but to also cancel the community zone activities.
“We recognise that the cancellation of Looe Live 2022 is incredibly disappointing for all concerned. Like many others we had been looking forward to the return of the festival and the opportunity to showcase our incredible town.
“We would like to thank the local residents, artists, community groups and businesses who have been working with us to prepare for this year’s event, and the many people who offered to volunteer. We would also like to thank Tim Vigus and the team at SWB&E for trying so hard to manage the commercial side of the festival.”
However, while Looe Live! 2022 is not going ahead, there are still many fantastic things to do in the town and the trustees would encourage people who have booked accommodation or planned to visit the festival to come and see what else Looe has to offer.
Simon added: “We remain committed to the principle of staging a community based festival in Looe. None of the charity’s finances are affected by this decision and we will be looking at options for staging an event next year.”
The Mayor of Looe, Cllr Edwina Hannaford, said although it was sad to hear the news she believed the ‘spirit of Looe’ would still be able to shine through.
She said: “I share the disappointment felt by many at the cancellation of Looe Live 2022. During the past few months the whole town has joined together to prepare for this year’s event and I would like to pay tribute to everyone involved for their hard work and commitment.
“However, while the festival itself is not going ahead, the spirit of Looe Saves the Day will still be burning bright in the town over the weekend with a fantastic programme of live music and entertainment taking place in our local pubs and clubs. I’m meeting with the pubs and clubs next week so the Town Council can understand how we can help publicise what’s happening through our channels.
“We have some amazing local artists in Looe who will be performing in venues across the town throughout the whole weekend. Add in the chance to sample our award-winning local food and drink, enjoy our renowned hospitality and experience some of the many other activities on offer, and you can still have a real weekend to remember.”