In 2023, FEST Festival was canceled a few days before its scheduled start. The organizers issued a series of statements that appeared, disappeared, and appeared on their social media, where they showed that they had run into serious financial trouble. They decided to restructure and close the festival.
The FEST Festival organizers were unable to compensate the injured parties who had purchased tickets for the event, paid for accommodation and were often already present in Katowice and Chorzów. It was not until July 2024 that some of the injured parties got their money back for the tickets.
FEST Festival 2025?
Now, organizers have announced that FEST Festival is set to return in 2025. Graphics announcing the event have appeared on the festival’s social media. Will it be possible to organize a successful event? It seems that the organizers have taken a more pragmatic approach. It is worth noting that they are announcing 2 days of the event, not 4 – as in previous editions. In an interview with Onet, the event organizer Marcin Szymanowski said:
“We cannot afford such a large event as in previous years. The two-day dimension of FEST is an announcement of plans to rebuild the prestige of the event, but also the trust of participants. […] The process is planned for the next three years. We are perfectly aware that some people will simply not trust us after recent events. That is why this time we want to play with our cards openly. So that no one is afraid to buy tickets”
The media are reporting that the organizers are focusing on transparency this time. The festival is to traditionally take place in the Silesian Park. Additionally, the president announces that FEST Festival cannot return all the funds to the injured parties because it needs to pay for next year’s edition.
– Unfortunately, this is the only solution – to accept a season ticket for concerts in 2025. If we were to pay people the outstanding funds now, we would not have the funds to organize FEST next year,” Szymanowski said in an interview for Onet.
But after what happened in 2023, will anyone still trust the organizers of FEST Festival?
UPDATE:
It turns out that Park Śląski did not decide to trust us and issued an official statement regarding the return of FEST:
– We are surprised by the content of the announcement published by the FEST Festival Organizer. We learned about his plans today from media reports. In our opinion, this is an action aimed at forcing the Park Śląski company to extend the land lease agreement for the following years and an attempt to put pressure on all institutions that have an impact on the organization of this event. At the same time, we would like to inform you that the Park Śląski Company opposes all attempts at blackmail and possible attempts to shift responsibility to our Company – says Aneta Miler, spokeswoman for the Park Śląski.
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