Dave Ritchie, who organises, runs and finances Wildfire from his own back pocket, posted a worrying statement on Facebook today. Dave isn’t one for hyperbole or exaggeration. He’s happy to say it like it is and he has never made any bones about how hard it is to get an event like Wildfire (and it’s predecessor LesFest) up and running.
For those without the time to read the following: if you’re planning on going to Wildfire this year – and you should as the lineup is amazing and the prices are still bloody low considering – then please, please buy your tickets now so that the money can be put towards getting the infrastructure in place. You can get them direct from the festival’s website.
If you need further temptation, check out the poster to the right (click for bigness) to see the incredible array of bands on offer for a very low price.
As an alternative, Dave has started up a GoFundMe page aiming to raise £5000. As things stand, and after only two hours, they’ve topped £2000. So if you can’t make the festival, already have a ticket, are in a band playing there or just want to one of the best “small” events in the UK then please chuck some pennies Dave’s way. As he points out, the festival’s facebook page has 6000 followers. A quid each is enough to fund it.
Or buy some merch! You can pre-order your t-shirts and so forth, again direct from the festival’s web site.
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Well this is the hardest thing I have ever had to write.
For 4 almost 5 years now, I have been putting together a small festival called Wildfire. I say small but the reality is, to book and pay 60 odd bands, hire a venue, marquees, sound and light, toilets, showers and more, costs many tens of thousands of pounds.
For the past 4 years I have gone from huge losses, to smaller but still significant losses, and this has been paid for by me and my direct family.
Wildfire has been growing year on year, increasing and goodwill and kind words are always good to hear, but sadly they do not pay the huge costs.
With just over 5 weeks to go, the reality is that there is not currently enough money in the pot to pay the suppliers who provide all the infrastructure. Having an event, mid summer in Scotland is peak time, so businesses have many options other than Wildfire. They do not NEED my or your money.
Although the prime objective has always been to new music, with a line up that includes established artists too, this years 5th event was shaping up to be our strongest ever line up.
Ironically we are selling more tickets to more new faces than ever before, but the locals, the regulars and the people we would expect to be along, have yet to make a move. I get that!
I also have no doubt that if it was to proceed then this years event would be the busiest ever, but if people do not take the plunge, then I can no longer front up the event financially and there will be no more Wildfire.
I need to sell about 200 tickets in literally the next couple of days, not to make a profit, not to break even, but just to make the event viable and to pay contractors.
The way I now sadly see it is I have 4 options.
Look to scale the event down and proceed on a smaller basis – still requires considerable ticket sales
Look to do a quick potential crowd funding project but that would need to be based on many many people making small contributions rather than a few doing a lot.
Cancel the event never to be seen again.
None of the above is easy, and sadly I have little time to make things work. But that is the truth that after 5 years of hard work, stress, family arguments and pressure, I have literally a handful of days to save Wildfire.
Thank you to everyone that has ed to date, I have not yet given up, but reality beckons unless people buy into the festival -TODAY.
