Cambridge To Celebrate 50th

For Cambridge Folk Festival’s 50th edition, it seems the Cambridge City Council that runs it has a lineup that looks stronger than any since its disastrous 2008 edition.

Photo: Daniel Ackerley

2013's edition.

The July 31 to Aug. 3 lineup includes Van Morrison, Rosanne Cash, Sinéad O’Connor, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Richard Thompson, Afro Celt Sound System, Loudon Wainwright III, Eddi Reader, and Newton Faulkner.

The festival has had a torrid time financially since losing £618,000 (then $906,000) when Secure Ticket (UK) tanked at the end of 2008, but it looks to have survived and this year will celebrate its 50th edition.

Secure Ticket’s Mohammed Rashid Qajar and Sally Oakley, who sold online tickets for Cambridge Folk Festival in 2007 and 2008, were banned from serving as company directors for 10 years.

But that didn’t help the festival get any of its money back. Secure Ticket (UK) went down with debts of around £4.5 million.

With the council taxpayers of Cambridge having to cover the tab, since 2009 talent booker Eddie Barcan’s budget had less money in it.