Latest news with #Wannasee
The Courier
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Back Doune The Rabbit Hole to return in 2026 as bosses say Fratellis pulling out was 'completely out of their control'
Back Doune the Rabbit Hole will return in 2026. Organisers of the Stirlingshire music festival are banking on this year's revival to be a success, despite Saturday headliners The Fratellis suddenly pulling out. They cancelled their set, due to take place at the Cardross Estate event over the weekend of August 1-3, after third-party promoter Wannasee failed to pay them their deposit. Wannasee is currently entering liquidation, with several music festivals across England called off as a result. The Fratellis' replacement has yet to be announced, but Back Doune the Rabbit Hole bosses are keen to distance themselves from the debacle given the festival's history. Doune the Rabbit Hole ran for a decade before it was cancelled in 2023, owing £800,000 to performers and workers. Brian Harkin is behind the festival's 2025 return, along with Colin Black and Paul Aspey of Rock Artist Management. Brian told The Courier the news that The Fratellis had not been paid their deposit was a 'shock' and 'unexpected'. He confirmed the rest of the event is being run in-house, with a replacement headliner to be decided this week. Mr Harkin explained: 'We had been paying them [Wannasee] the deposits for the performers they had booked. 'Then we found out last week that it had not been done when the company went into administration.' Mr Harkin said: 'Obviously, the reason this has come as such a major blow is because of what has happened previously with the event. 'It was the last thing we needed. 'Everything had been going absolutely great. 'Everyone is really excited for the event to go ahead again. 'We have at all stages tried to reassure everyone that we are an experienced team in this business. 'What happens with external suppliers is completely out of our control to a degree. 'We didn't see this coming at all – nobody in the industry did.' The organisers have pledged their dedication to Back Doune the Rabbit Hole being a 'long-term event' and hope to give back to the local community. Brian added: 'This year was about getting the festival back on the map and being budget conscious in terms of what we were putting on, so we went for the four stages. 'Next year we'll have an introducing stage for up-and-coming Scottish bands.' A spokesperson for Wannasee said: 'To clarify, Wannasee Ltd has never held a shareholding or directorship in Back Doune the Rabbit Hole, nor has it ever had any ownership of the event. 'Wannasee Ltd is now in the process of entering liquidation following wider industry challenges affecting its own portfolio of events. 'We wish the team at Back Doune Ltd every success in delivering what we're sure will be a fantastic festival this summer.'
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Lindisfarne Festival to go ahead after new organiser appointed
An annual coastal music festival will go ahead despite uncertainty over its organisers, it has been behind the Lindisfarne Festival in Northumberland have appointed its founder, Conleth Maenpaa, to ensure it goes ahead on the last weekend of decision came after original organiser Wannasee, which was behind numerous festivals in the region, announced it was speaking to liquidators and cancelling other news has been welcomed by ticketholders and businesses, with headliners at the Beal Farm event set to include Armand Van Halen, Doves and The Waterboys. Mr Maenpaa, who organised the first eight Lindisfarne Festivals, told the BBC he was "absolutely gutted" when he heard the 10th anniversary of the event might not take place this summer as other events were being axed."Not just for the punters who have grown to love it but also for the hardworking staff and for the volunteers and all the traders and contractors who rely on this," he was approached by the festival's investors, who are also behind Hardwick Festival in Sedgefield, County Durham, to take it over after Wannasee, which ran Lindisfarne last year, started having issues."We can't let something like this go to waste," Mr Maenpaa said. "It's important to everybody and to the region as well'. Bernard Rostron, who has sold ethically sourced goods at his Priya stall since its first year, said the festival's cancellation would have had a big said: "The knock-on is on the people who work with us because they lose a wage, but there's another impact on the suppliers."His store room near Penrith in Cumbria is filled with handmade items of clothing and bags from suppliers in places like Kathmandu and Rajasthan, who rely on his Rostron said four of the festivals he attended last year were not happening in 2025 and there was uncertainty about another four. He said: "Business isn't what it used to be."In Kathmandu, for instance, for one of our jacket suppliers, we are his only European customer now which is quite frightening for him, so that hurts us given that we care so deeply about our supply chain." Avid festival-goer Kevin Cooper reckons he went to 150 gigs and events last year and he would be sorry to not be able to attend home in Burnopfield, County Durham, is testament to his passion for music, the walls lined with CDs, vinyls and gig posters."Pre-Covid there was an explosion of festivals and I think post-Covid there's been a winding down of a number of them," he said he was "very disappointed" when festivals were cancelled. "Things like this damage consumer confidence but I do worry about what it does to the music industry which, while I'm not part of it, is very much a part of my life." Mr Maenpaa said people could have confidence in Lindisfarne going said: "We've got a backer who is very capable of looking after everything. "We've got everything in place - there maybe a few alterations that we don't know about because we are jumping in at the last minute, but we will put everything on and we will have most of the old team back so everything will be absolutely brilliant and we'll make it the best festival we possibly can."Wannasee has been contacted for comment. Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.
Global News
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Global News
To tour or not to tour: Artists second-guess going on road as touring gets harder
At first glance, the global touring industry seems to be doing well. Live Nation, the largest concert promoter and ticketing company, reported earlier this month that it was having an amazing year. More than 100 million tickets have been sold for events in 2025 so far. Compare that with 2019, the last big year before COVID-19, when Live Nation had sales of 98 million tickets for the entire 12 months. Economic slowdown? Tariff-related issues? Fan rebellions against the high cost of tickets? None of those dire predictions seems to be coming true. Live music is having a banner year! Well, maybe for some. Coachella didn't sell out for the second year running, and of those who did go, more than half financed their ticket purchases. Other festivals have been cancelled. According to tracker Music Festival Wizard, 44 events have disappeared from the global concert calendar so far this year. In the U.K., promoters shaken by the 72 festival cancellations last year are bracing for more problems. A few Australian festivals won't be happening because of rising costs. Four-day general admission tickets for Lollapalooza sold out within an hour, although one- and two-day tickets as well as VIP passes are still available. Just this week, a festival company called Wannasee dropped more than 10 events across Britain. The company has gone under. Story continues below advertisement The current U.S. administration isn't helping matters. After unilaterally raising the price of visas for foreign acts, there are all the stories of Homeland Security issues at the border. Who wants to risk setting up an expensive American tour when a border patrol agent can refuse you entry because… well, for any reason they choose. Something on your social media feed found on your phone that they don't like? You're not getting in. You might even be detained for some time before being deported. 2:09 Canadian singer cancels U.S. tour over trans passport rules If you're a top-tier performer, you might be immune to such petty concerns, but even Beyoncé had trouble with her Cowboy Carter tour, with thousands of tickets unsold even as opening night approached. That April 28 date in Los Angeles struggled to sell the remaining 3,200 tickets. She even had to lower prices to fill seats in other markets, annoying fans who bought tickets early. Star power, it seems, isn't always enough. Story continues below advertisement There are some bright spots — Lorde's fall tour of North America and Europe has gone clean and all the tickets for the 2025 Oasis reunion disappeared last year — but those seem to be the exception. Many artists are choosing to stay home. According to How Music Charts, there was a steady decline in the number of artists on tour between 2022 and 2024. Although not covered, it's tempting to extrapolate those figures to include emerging artists. For them, costs have risen so much that many have scaled back their touring plans, while others have elected to stay home entirely. Transportation, accommodation, equipment rental, roadies — they've all gone up in price dramatically since COVID-19. Those who take the risk find that margins are exceedingly small and the difference between turning a slight profit and losing a lot might hinge on one or two poorly attended gigs. Story continues below advertisement Another issue is low ticket sales. Small acts often survive on ticket and merch sales while the venue makes its money at the bar. COVID-19 seems to created a shift where young people aren't going out to see live music at a club the way previous generations did. And those who do go don't drink nearly as much. I've had several conversations with bar and club owners over the last year about this. 2:23 Scramble for Beyonce tickets bring familiar headaches for fans One hypothesis is that at least two cohorts of young concertgoers missed out on that coming-of-age period when they were finally allowed to see live music in an licensed establishment. Combine that with the cost of drinks, the availability of cheap and legal cannabis, and dating apps, and there are millions of young people who would rather stay in than go out. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Bottom line? The entire global ecosystem is evolving to meet these new economic realities. And there are have been some developments. Story continues below advertisement Live Nation is a leader in this, juicing things with its annual $30 ticket offer that covers hundreds of acts. Artists actually like this plan because it doesn't affect their bottom line. Once they've secured a guaranteed fee per gig, it's up to Live Nation to turn a profit. Because the company owns so many amphitheatres and has so many venue deals in place, Live Nation gets revenues from food and beverages (especially alcohol, which isn't cheap), parking and its customary cut from merch sales. Artists get their full payday and get to play in front of more people than they otherwise might. In the U.K., the government has created the UK LIVE Trust. A one-pound surcharge is added onto the price of a ticket sold for a stadium or arena show (any venue with a capacity of 5,000 or more), which is then reallocated to smaller venues across the country. Mumford & Sons, Pulp and Diana Ross are among the artists in support of the initiative. So far this year, over 500,000 pounds has been raise so far, manna to small clubs from Lizard Point in the south to Out Stack in the Shetland Islands in the north. This in addition to independent MP Jeremy Corbyn's A Summer to Save Music concert series. Here in Canada, we won't get a budget until the fall, and it remains to be seen if the Carney Liberals will listen to the pleas of the arts community. I guess we'll find out in the fall. Story continues below advertisement Musicians will always love to play live and there are audiences that love them for it. But it's getting harder and harder to make that connection. The good news is that you can help. Do yourself and your local small venue and emerging artist a favour and spend a night out with live music. If you really want to help, go to a show on a Tuesday or Wednesday when foot traffic is slow. And whatever you do, buy some merch and vinyl on your way out. It will make a world of difference.
