Merritt's Rockin River the latest B.C. music festival to cancel 2023 event
A country music festival in the B.C. Interior is the latest to announce the cancellation of its 2023 event.
Organizers of the Merritt-based Rockin River Music Festival announced Friday in a post on their website that the event would not return this year.
While the post does not provide a lot of detail about the specific reasons for the cancellation, it cites "economic obstacles" that organizers were unable to overcome.
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the Squamish Constellation Festival also cited economic troubles when announcing their own cancellations earlier this month.
Organizers of both of those festivals recently told The Canadian Press that their industry underwent seismic changes after the COVID-19 pandemic ground live music to a halt in 2020.
Costs rose for equipment such as fencing and stages as inflation kicked in and some suppliers went out of business during the pandemic. At the same time, vendors began demanding payments upfront, both festivals said.
In British Columbia, the music festivals also face competition from a bustling local film industry that pays top dollar for equipment such as portable toilets and showers.
When it announced its cancellation, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society said it intended to dissolve itself and end the event permanently.
Since then, several interested parties have come forward with proposals to keep the folk festival alive, and the society has postponed its Annual General Meeting in order to explore its options.
In their statement, Rockin River organizers did not say whether the event would return in the future, but did leave the door open to doing so.
"We want to thank the City of Merritt, who has always welcomed us with open arms, the incredible artists, staff and most importantly – you, the fans, many of whom have been loyal since year one," the statement concludes. "We hope to see you again soon."
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.