Despite a strong start to ticket sales, the Woodford Folk Festival still faces significant financial risk without a consistent flow of monthly sales until December.
Woodfordia Managing Director, Amanda Jackes, emphasised in a heartfelt letter last week how critical attendance at the 2024/2025 festival will be. She stated that due to reduced attendance numbers last year and increasing financial and operational cost pressures, the viability of future events depends on strong sales this year.
“At a gathering earlier this year, everyone agreed that we should forge ahead unapologetically for an ambitious Woodford Folk Festival this year, and we are,” she wrote.
“We hope you noticed our very small ticket price increases are nowhere near matching the inflation rates we are seeing from suppliers.
“We are totally dependent for the future of Woodford Folk Festival on the number of people who purchase tickets and attend.”
Ms Jackes added that “the risk is only increasing”, with their surplus margins halved. “The margins will never return to what they were,” she wrote.
It’s through surplus margins that Woodfordia was able to transform a dairy farm into the Folk Festival village, including building the infrastructure and reforesting the land.
“We have been working to establish other great social enterprises that will allow sustainable surpluses, helping us underpin the risk the Woodford Folk Festival takes annually,” Ms Jackes wrote.
“We know that not everyone can come every year, but this is the year that really needs to work for us.”
According to Ms Jackes, research has shown that most Folk Festival newcomers have attended because of the dedicated Woodfordia lovers, who have “passionately introduced” their friends and family.
“If everyone can bring just one more person to share the festival with this year, Woodfordia will prosper into the future,” she wrote.
Costs covered in the pricing that ticket buyers may not be aware of include employee costs – 12 per cent of expenses (Woodfordia has full-time, part-time, and casual employees, hired security, on top of over 2500 volunteers who contribute to additional costs) – insurance costs, food and beverage licences and purchases, performers, and interest expenses.
“Music is universal,” Ms Jackes wrote, “and celebrating it live with community is as powerful as it gets.”
Info and tickets: www.woodfordia.org.au