Coventry Godiva Festival dates announced for 2024

[dutchman]

The dates for the 25th anniversary of the Godiva Festival in Coventry have been announced.

The city council said the event would take place in War Memorial Park from Friday 5 July until Sunday 7 July 2024.

Tickets are set to go on sale in March with the line-up being announced early next year.

"The city has a deep connection with the event and reaching the 25th Godiva Festival is a huge milestone," said Councillor Abdul Salam Khan.

"As we eagerly anticipate the festival, it's important to acknowledge the economic benefits it brings to Coventry, particularly in terms of tourism," the deputy leader of the council added.

Despite the authority announcing earlier this month that festival ticket prices may increase and the festival may become more commercial due to a £30m budget shortfall for the council next year, Mr Khan said they recognised the financial pressures faced by attendees.

"We are mindful of the need for an affordable yet spectacular event," he said.

About 69,000 people attended this year's festival, which featured The Enemy, Rudimental and Mel C among the line-up.

Previous years have also seen headline acts like Tom Grennan, The Libertines and Bananarama.

Free Radio and Greatest Hits Radio will return as the official media partner and Coventry College will sponsor the festival's Family Field.

"We want our 25th Godiva Festival to be a truly unforgettable event," Mr Khan said.

[dutchman]

Paloma Faith headlines Godiva Festival



Paloma Faith, Richard Ashcroft and Beverley Knight have been named as headliners for this year's Godiva Festival in Coventry.

The event runs at War Memorial Park from 5-7 July and will be celebrating its 25th anniversary.

About 69,000 people attended last year's festival, which featured The Enemy, Rudimental and Mel C among the line-up.

Coventry City Council, which had warned ticket prices may increase due to a budget shortfall, said early bird day tickets would start at £7.50.

Other acts booked for 2024 include Sam Ryder, Lady Leshurr, The Primitives and Holy Goof.

Family activities will include craft sessions, a have-a-go circus, and sports activities.

Deputy council leader Abdul Salam Khan, said he was delighted.

"We have something for everyone across the weekend," he said.

"Whether it’s our drum and bass artists on Friday night or family activities on Sunday afternoon, the diversity of our festival caters for our city."

Only 20,000 tickets will be made available at the early bird prices, with weekend tickets costing £26, and family weekend tickets starting at £79.

Tickets will be available to buy at 09:00 GMT on Friday and people can view the full line-up on the festival website.

[rebbonk]

Who?

Everyone else is cancelling festivals because they can't see themselves making money! Do our imbecilic councillors think they can buck the trend? Yet again, this pathetic ego trip is going to cost the citizens of this good city!

[dutchman]

Size of Coventry Godiva festival overspend revealed as councillor says "get a grip"



Coventry City Council says rising costs and lack of income are behind an overspend on last year's Godiva festival. The council has confirmed the deficit was £200k after questions from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS.)

It comes as a councillor calls for the authority to "get a grip" on the situation. Leader of the opposition Cllr Gary Ridley (Woodlands, Con) said the council-run music festival has been running at a deficit "for some considerable years now."

Speaking at Tuesday's cabinet meeting (11 February,) he pointed out papers for the meeting referred to the event's "falling sales" and costs - and asked for assurances. Responding, Director of Finance Barry Hastie said fewer people went to the event than the year before, while at the same time costs have soared.

The drop in numbers was potentially due to bad weather and an England quarter-final match in the 2024 Euros. Mr Hastie added there is "always a risk" with what the final numbers will be.

The LDRS asked the council why Godiva festival has a deficit. In response, the authority said: "The cost to run a festival of this scale has hugely increased in recent years and many festivals in the country are affected by this which has led to cancellations.

"This means more income is needed to run the event, but last year’s event did not generate the expected income." This year's Godiva festival will lose council funding of £300k following cuts agreed by councillors last year.

More expensive tickets, outside funding and sponsorship were put forward as potential ways to plug the gap. Ticket prices and acts for the three-day family event have not yet been announced, but dates were revealed last week.

Asked if the overspend will affect the event this year the council said Godiva festival will "go ahead as usual." Cllr Christine Thomas, from the ruling Labour group, defended the festival as "more than just a music event" and said she supports it continuing at Tuesday's meeting.

She said it brings visitors to the city, is seen as a "holiday" by families in deprived areas who may not be able to travel, and is an outlet for new talent. Cabinet member Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, responsible for events, agreed with her comments.

Leader Cllr George Duggins also said he did not think there is a question about whether or not it continues. But opposition leader Cllr Ridley told the LDRS that while he has fond memories of the festival and they all want it to thrive, the event's contribution to the council's culture overspend is "deeply concerning."

He pointed out that it was once the UK's largest free festival but is now "struggling" with declining ticket sales and rising costs. He added: "Surely the time has come for the Council to get a grip on this situation and put the festival on a sustainable footing for the future."

[dutchman]

Call for "review" of Coventry Godiva festival as event called "over-inflated"



Coventry councillors want a "review" of the city's annual Godiva festival as they say it needs to cover its own costs. People in the opposition Conservative group slammed the council-run event as "over-inflated" this week.

They proposed to axe a £330k "bailout" cash injection from the council to cover a shortfall for this year's show. But the council's leader said the authority reviews the event every year and hit back at the group's criticism of the music festival.

The cash boost was agreed as part of the ruling Labour group's budget at the meeting on Tuesday, 25 February. It comes after last year's concert saw a drop in ticket sales, causing a £200k overspend by the cash-strapped council.

The 2024 event in War Memorial Park was also rocked by reports of a "stampede" and underage drinking. Ticket charges were brought in to the formerly free festival in 2019 after the council spent three times its budget putting on the festivities the year before.

Godiva festival is billed as the UK's largest family music festival and has been running for over 25 years. At Tuesday's meeting the Conservatives put forward an "alternative" budget removing the £330k extra funding proposed by Labour so this year's event can be held to its current standard.

Deputy group leader Cllr Peter Male labelled the cash boost a "bailout" and called for the review. He said: "The Conservative group has decided that now is the time to review the future of the Godiva festival and propose to direct this bailout elsewhere.

"What started as a community event promoting local talent, Lord Mayor, has morphed into a larger event with spiralling costs and declining ticket sales. Whatever the future of the music festival it must cover its own costs.

"Why should council taxpayers pick up the tab?" Fellow Conservative councillor John Blundell (Wainbody) claimed the festival is now "over-inflated" and even encourages people to leave the city.

He told the meeting: "When I first came to Coventry as a councillor, Godiva was a real family run-event, which was fantastic. Over the years it's become over-inflated, chasing higher and higher names, losing money, having to put in massive security - and you've now put [in] £330,000 pounds.

"Most festivals are run to actually produce a profit. Godiva is the only festival I know that now is run to produce a loss."

"I know a lot of people who actually leave Coventry when Coventry Godiva is on because of the intimidation and people don't go to the park," he claimed. But the group's alternative plan which included axing the funding was not voted through at the meeting.