Folk Festival venue in question

The West Mid Show was held for 125 years before the recession hit

The organisers of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival say they have "full confidence" their event will go on despite site management issues.

The annual folk festival is held at the West Mid Showground in Berwick Estate, Shrewsbury, but the society running the showground has gone into liquidation.

The festival said it was "determined" its event would continue.

Festival organisers said there was "so much interest" in the showground lease there would be competition for it.

The West Midlands Agricultural Society had the showground lease, but announced on Monday that it was going into liquidation. It had also helped to plan other events at the showground such as the folk festival.

Recession victim

Folk Festival organiser Alan Surtees said: "We would very much like to be on the West Mid Showground.

"I have been talking to several organisers. There may be some competition for people wanting to take on the lease and run the showground."

Mr Surtees said if the future of West Mid Showground had not been secured by New Year the Folk Festival would have to look at changing its venue for 2010.

The West Midlands Agricultural Society had organised the West Mid Show for 125 years and blamed the recession for its final demise.