Riverside Festival cancelled due to low ticket sales and rising costs
The Glasgow festival was due to go ahead at the end of May
Glasgow’s Riverside Festival has cancelled its next edition due to low ticket sales and rising costs, the festival announced over the weekend.
On Saturday, Riverside posted a statement explaining that its 11th edition will not go ahead as planned this month. The annual weekender was due to take place from May 25 - 26.
“It is with deep regret and heavy hearts that we’ve taken the extremely difficult decision to cancel this year’s Riverside Festival,” they announced.
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The festival cited “lower-than-expected” ticket sales and rising costs, including staff, transport, infrastructure and artist costs “all in an over-saturated event landscape”.
“We could not deliver the festival to our usual high standards,” they said. “We understand how upsetting this is for those of you who have bought tickets, and we sincerely thank you all for your continued support.”
Despite the cancellation, Riverside added that it will throw two “massive shows” at the museum where the annual event takes place later in the year from August 31 and September 1.
“For those of you committed to dancing Clydeside, all is not lost,” they said. “We’re putting together two massive shows at the museum for you - Please save the dates and hold tight for sign-up and line-up announcements!”
Read this next: UK festival scene at risk as more than 20 cancel or postpone 2024 editions
Riverside Festival 2024 was due to go ahead at the end of May with headline sets from LF System and Green Velvet. Also billed to perform was the likes of Eliza Rose, Josey Rebelle, salute, TAAHLIAH, Slam, and TSHA.
In March, the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) urgently warned the government that over 100 festivals are at risk of disappearing in 2024 if nothing is done to reduce rising running costs.
AIF’s research found that 21 festivals due to take place this year have been postponed, cancelled or completely called off - all in the first three months of 2024.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter
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