The two-day prog festival Celebr8.3 will be last of its kind.
Promoters Jon ‘Twang’ Patrick and Geoff Banks have decided to go their separate ways after the third two-day event on May 31 and June 1.
Patrick, who also leads the House Of Progression series of concerts, says: “Over the last couple of years the dynamics have changed immensely. Once there were very few live shows – now there are tons. I have noticed that this has split the audience. It comes down to not being able to afford to see everything.
I think they’re right that we have reached a saturation point with prog festivals, with HRH Prog, Celebr8, Summers End and others all competing for bands and audiences. Last year saw at least two prog festivals collapse through lack of ticket sales, and it may be that smaller “mini-festivals” featuring three or four bands with enough in common that there’s a big overlap in their audience are the way forward.
Still, Celebr8.3 promises to be a great weekend of music, and tickets are still available from The Merch Desk.
Saturday is headlined by The Tangent, along with an acoustic set by Anathema, Karmakanic, Thumpermonkey, the final appearance of Twelfth Night, and an acoustic set from John Mitchell & Kim Seviour (acoustic)
Sunday’s headliner is Frost*, and the bill also includes The Fierce & The Dead, Cosmograf, Sanguine Hum, Galahad and an acoustic set from Andy Tillison & Matt Stevens.
Photo with permission from Mantra Vega, photographer unknown.