The Saugeen Summer Nights concert, scheduled for the Labour Day weekend in Clifford, has been postponed until next year. Promoter Richard Sharpe, of The Concert Factory, says the busy concert schedule in Ontario this summer made booking enough top acts “to provide value” impossible.
Slow ticket sales also contributed to the decision to postpone the fourth installment in the SSN series until June 19 to 23, 2013.
The concert was originally scheduled for the fairgrounds at the Harriston Community Centre, from June 22-24, with a line-up featuring a mix of rock, Christian rock and country acts. On June 4, the promoter announced the concert would be postponed until the Labour Day weekend and moved to Clifford, the site of a previous SSN concert in 2011.
Last week, an announcement on the SSN website stated the festival would be “put on pause” until 2013.
“We tried our best and were not able to secure a full line-up we felt comfortable with during the short lead time,” the announcement stated.
The announcement indicated all tickets sold to date would be honoured at any Concert Factory production or “Saugeen Summer Nights branded shows.”
Ticket-holders were also offered the option of hanging onto their tickets and using them at the show in June, 2013.
In an interview with the Wellington Advertiser on Aug. 16, Sharpe said a list of upcoming shows will be posted in the fall on SSN and Concert Factory websites. He said cash refunds weren’t being offered because the show was rescheduled, not cancelled.
“We’re going to do it,” he stated. “It will happen in 2013.”
Sharpe said the competition for acts is particularly stiff with the number of shows being staged in the area this summer.
“There’s too many shows. There are 22 festivals in Ontario. The economic conditions we’re in can’t support that number of shows.”
Sharpe later contacted the Advertiser and said that, while a show is still planned for 2013, refunds would be given, to ticketholders, who follow the refund policy posted on the SSN website.
“The bottom line is, anyone that wants it is going to get a refund.”
In order to claim a refund or credit for another show, the SSN website instructs ticket holders to email their refund request to info@saugeensummernights.ca between Aug. 19 and Aug. 31, detailing their purchase, including the number of tickets with seat numbers and purchaser’s name.? Tickets must then be returned by mail.
Sharpe said tickets may be returned only by regular mail, not in person or by courier. Returned tickets must be postmarked by Aug. 31. The refund policy states ticket holders should contact their credit card company for a refund, stating they have returned their tickets.
“Everyone has to follow the same process,” stated Sharpe.
Ticketholders may also opt to keep their tickets for shows posted on the SSN website, “up to and including SSN 2013,” which Sharpe said will be held at the Clifford venue.
The full refund/exchange policy was posted on www.saugeensummernights.ca on Aug. 20.
Although the June 24 announcement indicated the move of the festival to Clifford was being accomplished “with the support of (the Town of) Minto,” treasurer Gordon Duff said the municipality’s only involvement with the event is providing a venue under a rental arrangement.
“It’s like they rented the hall, and they cancelled,” Duff said.
