Express & Star

Sandwell Valley MADE Festival postponed until 2021

This year's MADE Festival has been postponed.

Published
The Streets

The annual festival - set to take place this year at Sandwell Valley Country Park - has been rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The summer event was set to see performances from Birmingham-based musicians The Streets as well as Stefflon Don, Shy FX, Gorgon City and many more.

A statement from organisers said: "After much consultation with Sandwell Council and our festival partners, it is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the postponement of MADE Festival 2020 to Saturday, July 31, 2021.

"Your ticket will be automatically transferred over to this date and we expect to have all of this year’s line up (and more) at the 2021 event.

"When we started the event in 2014 it would have been hard to believe how much love and loyalty we would receive from our audience over the next six years.

"Despite the trials and tribulations involved in running events of this size, your ongoing support has been a huge motivation to us to keep pushing ahead and flying the flag for the West Midlands festival scene.

"After the last 12 months of hard work from our amazing team, and selling over half of all tickets in the first few weeks, it was apparent that summer 2020 was shaping up to be a very special year for us.

"An amazing new site, a very special line up and a genuine excitement from all involved. We were looking forward to sharing the day with you all.

"Since the start of the UK lockdown in March, we have continued to work on plans and develop scenarios where we could still bring you this year’s event without compromising anybody’s safety.

"Unfortunately, with no clear government guidance on the future of festivals it has left us with no other choice as time has now run out to effectively organise the event at the high level we pride ourselves on.

"Putting your safety first is an easy decision in reality, but it now leaves us in the same precarious position as many festivals and venues in the UK.

"We have already invested huge amounts into the festival, including licensing, site planning, marketing and promotion, pre-production, staff wages, artist deposits and much much more.

"If we were to simply refund all tickets, then the stark reality is that we will unlikely be back in 2021.

"So, we are asking for one simple thing, please don’t refund your ticket - it genuinely will make a difference to us and allow us to return next year.

"We fully appreciate that it has been a tough time for many people in the UK, so if you feel you need to refund your ticket then you have every right to do so of course.

"But if you can hold onto your ticket, please understand that this gesture will be helping keep MADE Festival alive until next year and hopefully many more years to come.

"Furthermore, if you are yet to buy your ticket then this would really help the cause also."

Attendees who wish to receive refunds have been told to contact refunds@made-festival.co.uk.

For more information, click here.