Fans' refund frustration over cancelled festivals

Ticket holders have spoken of their disappointment and frustration after a number of festivals were cancelled, leaving people hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

Sunderland's Kubix and Monument festivals, Stone Valley North in Thornley, County Durham, and Wannasee Penrith were officially cancelled on Saturday following days of speculation over the future of the events.

Organiser Wannasee Ltd said it was "not able to continue" with the events and was in discussions with liquidators. It advised people to contact ticket providers or card issuers for refunds.

Ticket provider Skiddle said its "repeated requests" to organisers to release the money for refunds to be processed had gone "unheard".

Skiddle is offering full refund in the form of credit for other events.

A face value refund could also be requested, but it is not possible to confirm when the money would be returned.

CM Tickets is asking people to contact the organisers who are "currently reviewing their plans".

Wannasee Ltd said a difficult trading environment and "sudden collapse in customer confidence" had left the business "unable to recover".

Among other festivals cancelled were Wannasee South, Jukebox Sunderland and Jukebox Bingley, Sign of the Times, Stone Valley South and Stone Valley Midlands.

A spokesperson for Skiddle said it was not "unusual" for ticket outlets to forward funds to organisers as suppliers and artists require deposits and payments ahead of events.

They added: "We have made repeat requests for the funds to be returned to us which have so far gone unheard, which means we are unable to directly return these to our customers."

Skiddle said despite having security measures, getting the money back could take a long time and "may not result in the full funds returned" to the company.

A spokesperson for Wannasee Ltd said ticket income had "always been used - in line with prior agreements with ticket providers - to cover essential costs required to deliver the festivals".

"We are currently in discussions with our appointed liquidator and a further statement will be issued in due course," the spokesperson added.

Kevin Cooper was due to go to Monument Festival and had also rolled over tickets from the Stone Valley North 2024 event after it was postponed.

"We're sitting waiting on £260 worth of tickets," he said.

"Even worse will be the suppliers of tents or people who've paid for pitches to provide food on site, or staging. Many of them will be well out of pocket."

Mr Cooper, from Burnopfield, County Durham, said he was "annoyed and frustrated" with the cancellation and described it as "another hit on the music business" in the North East.

He said he had accepted Skiddle's offer for credits for alternative events and was waiting to hear back from his bank over a separate refund.

"I think ultimately we'll get some or all of our money back one way or another, which will probably annoy the banks because they'll end up no doubt footing the bill for it," he added.

Another ticket holder from Durham, who asked not to be named, said the cancellation left her feel "terrible" after spending £700 on the festivals as part of celebrations for her 50th birthday.

They were set to got to Stone Valley North and Kubix, as well as Lindisfarne Festival.

"You look forward to it all year round," she said.

"You plan it, you organise it. The festivals that we go to, we meet the same people every year, so you look forward to catching up with them all.

"Your first worry is obviously money and then it's disappointment, real disappointment."

She added she would try to claim a refund back from her bank.

Wannasee Ltd said discussions to preserve Lindisfarne Festival and Northern Kin were under way.

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