The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is one of the most deeply entrenched events in the Canadian music calendar, but the festival has now announced that its 2023 edition has been cancelled — and it may never return, due to what it calls "unsustainable" production costs.
"We came back in 2022 to find the festival environment greatly changed," said Mark Zuberbuhler, president of the festival's board, in a statement. "On top of costs continuing to rise, we are also facing new financing challenges, which makes the production of the festival unsustainable."
The Folk Fest is run by a non-profit organization, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society, and this organization might be dissolved entirely. Members will vote on whether to dissolve the organization on February 1, with an announcement about the festival's future to follow the next day. "The VFMFS board of directors has regrettably agreed on a recommendation to members that the society should cease operations by the end of March 2023 to help ensure the society meets its fiduciary obligations," said Zuberbuhler's statement.
After two years off due to the pandemic, the festival returned in 2022; it faced "massively increased costs" and didn't break even. Zuberbuhler cited vendors, who now ask for payment up front, as one example of such costs.
The board estimated that it would cost $500,000 per year to continue running the event. The two full-time staff members have been notified that they will be laid off.
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society has been staged annually for more than 40 years, since 1978. It takes place at Jericho Beach Park.
"We came back in 2022 to find the festival environment greatly changed," said Mark Zuberbuhler, president of the festival's board, in a statement. "On top of costs continuing to rise, we are also facing new financing challenges, which makes the production of the festival unsustainable."
The Folk Fest is run by a non-profit organization, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society, and this organization might be dissolved entirely. Members will vote on whether to dissolve the organization on February 1, with an announcement about the festival's future to follow the next day. "The VFMFS board of directors has regrettably agreed on a recommendation to members that the society should cease operations by the end of March 2023 to help ensure the society meets its fiduciary obligations," said Zuberbuhler's statement.
After two years off due to the pandemic, the festival returned in 2022; it faced "massively increased costs" and didn't break even. Zuberbuhler cited vendors, who now ask for payment up front, as one example of such costs.
The board estimated that it would cost $500,000 per year to continue running the event. The two full-time staff members have been notified that they will be laid off.
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society has been staged annually for more than 40 years, since 1978. It takes place at Jericho Beach Park.
