Insufficient ticket sales have put an end to a new outdoor, two-day music festival which was planned to take place in Thomastown this weekend, although organisers have confirmed they hope an indoor event will go ahead in its stead.
The inaugural Dysart Festival was due to take place in the grounds of Dysart estate and castle, the picturesque former home of philosopher George Berkeley, over Saturday and Sunday.
However, late last week organisers revealed that the festival would no longer be going ahead in the Thomastown estate and confirmed that headline acts Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and opera singer Katherine Jenkins would no longer be involved in the festival.
“Sadly, there has been an insufficient level of ticket sales to enable a viable inaugural event at Dysart Castle,” organisers said last Friday.
The continuous inclement weather has also been cited as a reason for the decision to cancel the festival in its original format,with fears that one of the stages erected for the event had sunk too deep into the field.
This week organisers have suggested that the festival may still go ahead in a new format which would see the remaining acts on the bill take part in a two day festival in a smaller venue in Kilkenny city.
Although Langton’s on John Street had been originally mentioned as a possible venue, that was ruled out and it now appears most likely that the festival will take place in the grounds of the Kilford Arms Hotel on John Street, which encompasses O’Faolain’s Bar and Club 51.
The acts for the main stage of the music festival are set to perform outside in the grounds of the hotel, subject to planing permission, across two days, Saturday and Sunday.
Acts which still remain on the bill as it currently stands include the Blind Boys Of Alabama, Gemma Hayes, Republic Of Loose, John Martyn, Cathey Davey, Clive Barnes, Ham Sandwich and Hoarsebox.
These and other bands will perform on the main outdoor stage in the Kilford Arms Hotel on either Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
A number of comedy acts are also expected to perform on both afternoons in a separate venue in the hotel as part of the Laughter Lounge Comedy afternoon.
A series of DJs and dance acts will also perform as part of the festival and the All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Kilkenny and Cork will be shown live on the big screen.
General admission tickets for the event are now priced at €40 for each day and current holders of one-day tickets have now been given the option of either going to both days or bringing a friend to either day.
Ticket-holders who do not attend the event will be given a full refund from Friday, August 15, at the point of purchase, while tickets purchased by credit or debit card will automatically be refunded on that date.
“We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused to all the music fans who purchased tickets, the artists involved and to the local community who have endeavoured to make the festival a success.
