Despite other cities' best efforts, the cancellation of the Pemberton Music Festival has not been a good look for the festival industry. Just yesterday (June 1), the New York Times suggested that the fallout from the cancellation is demonstrably worse than the much-mocked Fyre Festival disaster. Still, there could be hope for Pemby, as a West Vancouver businessman claims he has a plan to save it.
Speaking with The Breaker, Joseph Spears of Horseshoe Bay Marine Group and 2 Narrows Productions said he had financial backers, sponsors and an American concert producer ready to save the Pemberton Music Festival.
Spears said he has been contacting the Pemberton land owner — also a former director of the fest — for an emergency meeting but has not heard back. "I just can't believe they're not making any efforts," he said.
The businessman has hired insolvency lawyer David Lunny, a co-owner of Drumkeeran House in Pemberton, to represent him. The plan is to buy or lease the land so that the festival can proceed and tickets purchased through May 18 will be honoured.
"This is basically a blight on BC," Spears said. "Tourism is affected by this, community is affected by this, the [ticket holders] are going to lose the funds that were advanced, the suppliers, all those small business people — I thought that was wrong, so let's make this happen and rock on."
Watch Spears's video below.
Speaking with The Breaker, Joseph Spears of Horseshoe Bay Marine Group and 2 Narrows Productions said he had financial backers, sponsors and an American concert producer ready to save the Pemberton Music Festival.
Spears said he has been contacting the Pemberton land owner — also a former director of the fest — for an emergency meeting but has not heard back. "I just can't believe they're not making any efforts," he said.
The businessman has hired insolvency lawyer David Lunny, a co-owner of Drumkeeran House in Pemberton, to represent him. The plan is to buy or lease the land so that the festival can proceed and tickets purchased through May 18 will be honoured.
"This is basically a blight on BC," Spears said. "Tourism is affected by this, community is affected by this, the [ticket holders] are going to lose the funds that were advanced, the suppliers, all those small business people — I thought that was wrong, so let's make this happen and rock on."
Watch Spears's video below.