Numbers fall at music festivals

The organisers of two of Oxfordshire's biggest festivals say their events have been hit by the recession this year.

Attendance figures at Henley Festival were down between 10 and 15% on last year, according to the artistic director Stuart Collins.

Hugh Phillimore, organiser of Cornbury Festival, says their numbers were down approximately 20% on 2008.

Both blame a combination of the economic downturn and last year's bad weather, which deterred people.

Mr Phillimore said: ''Our takings were down about 20 per cent, but we had already made 20 per cent savings so we ended where we thought we would.''

Mr Collins said: ''Our board of management are certainly behind us and want to keep it going just as it has been.''

In June the Festival for Heroes fund-raising concert, which was due take place at Blenheim Palace, was cancelled because not enough tickets were sold. Organisers blamed the recession and competition from other festivals.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Cornbury Festival
Henley Festival
Festival For Heroes
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites