Huge music festival to charge for the first time

A POPULAR music festival in Birmingham is to charge an admission fee for the first time this year, sparking anger from some revellers.

The Simmer Down event has been free since 2010, attracting around 20,000 visitors to Handsworth Park.

But organisers said the change was needed as it was “simply not sustainable” to offer free entry after the “devastating impact of Covid-19”.

The festival celebrates Birmingham’s cultural diversity by paying tribute to reggae and other musical genres.

Adults will now have to pay £11, with the charges described as “nominal” in a statement addressing the introduction of payment.

Organisers said: “Since 2010, Simmer Down Festival has been free of charge.

“This has been made possible through grants from Arts Council England and sponsors. However, costs are increasing every year and the devastating impact of Covid-19 on local businesses resulted in the loss of sponsorship and Birmingham City Council festival funding ceased several years back.”

The statement went on: “In an ideal world, we’d love to be able to keep Simmer Down Festival free, but this is simply not sustainable. Whilst we recognise the pressures of living costs going up in our communities we are committed to keeping costs down.

“But we also have to make sure the festival environment is safe and has all the infrastructure that is required for an annual event which has now become one of the biggest festivals in the region.

“We believe that a nominal entry fee is the only way of securing Simmer Down Festival’s future sustainability and for us to continue to bring you an eclectic high-quality festival programme and additional events throughout the year.”

The event takes over Handsworth Park every year, and is a highlight of Birmingham’s summer events calendar.