Why is Standon Calling 2024 festival getting cancelled? Rescheduled dates, tickets, & all you need to know

Standon Calling 2024 was scheduled for July 18, 2024, to July 20, 2024, at the Standon Lordship private grounds at Standon, Hertfordshire, UK. However, the festival was canceled on February 8, 2024, due to cost-related reasons, with the cancellation announcement stating,

"Over the last few months of hard work planning our return this summer, it has become clear that the costs of running the event..have significantly increased again, making it practically impossible for us to deliver the fully-formed Standon Calling you Standoners have come to love, expect and deserve this year."

The statement continues,

"The painful truth is that ploughing on in this very challenging climate could risk the future of the festival. We believe that the only sensible decision is to take a fallow year for the very first time in our history (other than during the height of COVID-19) and use this time to make the 18th Standon Calling one for the ages."

The cancellation comes on the heels of the claims by some performers and caterers that the festival was yet to pay their 2023 dues. It reportedly totals thousands of British pounds, even as the 2024 edition was planned.

Tickets purchased for the 2024 edition will be valid in the 2025 period, and the festival has also promised to provide each patron who keeps the ticket till 2025 an extra Adult Weekend ticket. The 2025 edition is scheduled for July 24, 2025, to July 25, 2025.

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More details on Standon Calling 2024 cancellation

Standon Calling 2024 cancellation's statement further elaborates on the decision to cancel the edition. The organizers stated that they were not making the decision lightly.

"This is not a decision we have made lightly and we have explored every avenue possible to welcome you back in 2024. Sadly, the situation is not unique to us. So many festival teams work hard all year round to deliver unforgettable weekends of memories in the face of unprecedented financial challenges."

The statement continues, drawing attention to festival's growing problems in the current global climate, particularly indie festivals.

"Over the last few weeks, several other independent festivals have been postponed for similar reasons.Over the coming months, we will be asking for your input and suggestions to make sure we can return with the very best show possible – one befitting our 18th birthday edition!"

Standon Calling's cancellation due to rising costs mirrors the festival's early history, with the 2008 and 2009 editions facing losses after the 2008 financial crisis dropped the UK market.

The UK is currently facing a cost of living crisis, with a record £4500 hit to the finances of the vulnerable sections of the population starting in 2020 during the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Inflation was recorded at 10% at the start of the crisis but has currently stabilized at 4%.

Inflation does not directly relate to living costs, with a lower inflation rate, meaning prices will not increase at the same rate. However, a lower inflation rate will not reduce the prices hiked previously.

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As mentioned, several festivals have been canceled due to the price rise in the UK's current economic crisis. Among those previously canceled are the Doonhame Festival in Scotland, Barn on The Farm, Nass, and the Splendour Festival in Nottingham.