Promoter of Burnley's Towneley Live festival goes bust - but council will try to save event
10:27am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News
By Peter Magill, Chief reporter
Una of The Saturdays at the 2011 event
THE promotion company behind Burnley's Towneley Live festival has gone into liquidation – but the leader of the council believes the event should be saved.
Towneley Live organisers Livewyre were wound up by the official receiver after a payment dispute with Burnley Football Club. The Lytham St Annes company was behind the 2011 spectacular which brought McFly and The Saturdays to the town with a crowd of 12,000 young music lovers.
But as revealed by the Lancashire Telegraph last year, Livewyre became embroiled in a legal row with the Turf Moor club.
Burnley FC offered discount tickets for the 2011 festival through its box office but it was also partners with Livewyre in that year’s Soccer Six tournament.
In a brief hearing at Blackpool County Court Livewyre, on a petition by ‘Burnley Football and Athletic Club Ltd’, the promoter was wound up and an official notice has now been published by the London Gazette.
Council leader Cooper said: “This is something that we have been behind 100 per cent as a council and we will look to do everything we can to ensure that it still goes ahead.”
Promoter Harry Ashworth took a year out from staging the event last year, claiming that the competition provided by the Olympics would have damaged ticket sales.
And there was speculation that the festival would return as a ‘two-day spectacular’ in 2013, when trading conditions improved. The official festival website has not been updated since April 2012.
Last night Mr Ashworth said that he did not want to comment on Livewyre going into liquidation, 'to avoid creating further problems.'
But he added: “This should be dealt with fairly quickly and everything should be back on. That’s the whole idea.”
Burnley FC did not comment on the winding-up petition.
Comments(5)
Blackburn fans love horses
says...
11:51am Wed 6 Feb 13
hasslem hasslem
says...
11:56am Wed 6 Feb 13
Blackburn fans love horses wrote:obviously, burnley football club must not want any entertainment in the town of any description - - - and if the club cannot provide it, nobody else will
You must have big hands then - as 12000 people attended the last event
its only rock n roll
says...
9:02pm Wed 6 Feb 13
Next time the borought councillers want to use external organisations to run an out door event use the expertise which resides in the borough or even look how other boroughs like bingley or kendal how they run there events.....
i put it to the borough personal who instigated this event next time use a proper company to put an event on or you be left with egg on your face again..
Finally I can justify my statement above as II have over 20 years of live entertainment expertise and contacts and live in the borough. Tried to make contact with Livewyre to give my advise to the event on an advisory level, but they never returned my call. Shame cause I have always dreamt that Townley Parkcould host such an event well..
psch
says...
10:08pm Wed 6 Feb 13
rumblesteveskin says...
10:43am Wed 6 Feb 13