There will be no free music events at the Buttermarket during this year’s Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival, the first time in the event’s 14-year history.
A Crowdfunder page launched earlier in the year has failed to reach the amount of money needed. It had been hoped funds could be raised to cover the cost of artist fees, road closures, hire of the Buttermarket and sound, security and safety requirements.
A spokesperson for the Festival said, “Whilst we didn’t reach the minimum funding required to make the programme possible this year, we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, shared the campaign and offered their support.”
There will still be a Fringe Festival with a number of local venues presenting live music across the August bank holiday weekend, including The Lookout, Rye Waterworks and Taproom, The Old Bell, The Winery Taproom, The Grapevine Champagne and Jazz Bar and The William the Conqueror.
Tickets are still available for the seven headline concerts at St Mary’s Church in Rye 28 to 31 August. The line-up is made up of The Van Morrison Alumni Band, Alice Armstrong, Myles Sanko, Elles Bailey, Earl Thomas, Ray Gelato & The Giants, and Mica Paris.
To find more details and to book tickets visit here.
Image Credits: Kt Bruce .
This incredibly sad because it filled Rye with a fun three days of music. We missed the Kino stage last year and now no Buttermarket this year. Sidmouth International Jazz and Blues Festival, run by the same group as Rye, gets better and better each year because the town gets behind Ian Bowden and his team and sees the amazing benefits it brings to Sidmouth. The hotels are full, the restaurants have waiting lists for dinner and the whole town is buzzing.
So Rye why have you not given the same support??
What a terrible loss to the town on the August Bank Holiday weekend and for all the businesses which have benefitted over the years. It didn’t need to happen.
It’s because the business in Rye (and the RTC) do t really want the festival. They prefer to sell cheap trinkets and bad art with high priced coffee to tourists who have no interest in the town except as a pastiche film set to be gawped at. The residents in the centre have always objected as they can’t stand to have a bit of fun for one week end a year.
You get what you deserve, Rye will descend into a place where few people live, full of second homes, air bnb and even more hotels with nowhere for people to live, good luck with that then.
Rye has supported its just failed to reach the minimum, probably due to high cost of living, high fuel prices and high taxes!?
In my view it was always a mistake to put this festival on a weekend when the town was already and always is busy.
Business is tough and continually asking businesses to contribute is difficult. Had this festival, over the years, NOT been on the bank holiday, the town would have gained another huge weekend, as opposed to exploiting an existing one.
The problem with the jazz festival for local businesses has always been the fact that it is on August Bank Holiday weekend: Rye has always been, and always will be full on the August Bank holiday weekend, no matter what is happening. Just hold it on a different weekend when the town needs to attract more visitors not on the weekend when the town’s full to bursting anyway – more businesses may be inclined to support it then?
I made sure I donated every day last year, to keep it going for this year, only for it not to happen anyway.
Out of interest, what happens to the crowd funded money now it isn’t going to happen?
The security mentioned in the costing consisted of a very rude man demanding people ‘Move away now!’ that had briefly stopped to rest or look, unfortunately standing on the pavement opposite the town hall behind the very small amount of chairs provided. His attitude nearly stopped me from donating, but I did anyway. There are ways to talk to people, and his wasn’t polite at all.
Very sad to hear this. The Butter market stage has always been a very important part of the festival – it’s location pulls in the crowds whilst passing by and encourages those to visit the other venues including the paid events at the church. I personally believe that the August Bank Holiday is the right time for town. The weather is usually good and very helpful for those who work having the extra days holiday. It’s always great seeing the town buzzing and money being spent in the businesses. It also encourages visitors to come back to the town at other times in the year too. Hoping there might be some way it can still happen this year?
In the world of AI can we be sure ‘Robert P’ is a real person? Or is Rob a bot? Or are they someone with an axe to grind cloaked by anonymity? All these are possible when a full and real name is not displayed with a comment.
Knowing Sidmouth well, I beleive they use a large field on the outskirts of the town,for most of their celebrations, something Rye should consider,using the old town salts, the cost of road closures and security and insurance keeps going up each year,and you cannot expect traders to keep funding this event each year,as so many other organisations have their begging bowls out, for sponsorship, and many say enough is enough.
Ian and team put an awful lot of effort into this festival and have evidenced through research how many people visit the town from across the UK and beyond just for this event. Lots of people have a theory about the Jazz Festival, how much money is made, by whom etc but the fact is too few actually get behind it and support something which is a highlight of the year for our town. It’s such a shame that for all the people who donate what they can, in fact the only thing that can make a significant difference is either a major benefactor or substantial grants, neither of which we’ve been able to sort out here only relatively modest grants in the past from local councils. Finally, having volunteered for a couple of years at the Buttermarket and Kino stages it’s really important that thoroughfares are kept clear, understandably people want to stand and enjoy the music but volunteers need to keep pavements clear so please bear in mind when criticising them that they have a task to do and have given up their time to support the festival. I sincerely hope Ian gets the support he deserves for next year.