Jedward concert cancelled due to venue difficulties

Date Published: 21-Aug-2012

By Dearbhla Geraghty

Jedward’s Summer Pop concert, scheduled for the city this Sunday, has been cancelled due to difficulties with the venue.

The official line from promoters, Music Events Ireland, is that “unforeseen circumstances” had forced their hand, however a number of factors are behind the decision.

Last week, our sister newspaper, The Galway City Tribune, reported that two gigs from the duo’s tour of the country had already been cancelled, that there was a strong belief that the Galway City gig would not go ahead on the planned date, or would be postponed until November.

A spokesperson for the promoters confirmed yesterday that the controllers of the concert site, at Victoria Place, New Docks, had sought €10,000 more than they had originally expected to pay for the use of the outdoor venue, which proved such a success during the Volvo Ocean Race.

Contact was made with Galway City Council in the last few weeks with a view to moving the concert to Leisureland. Approximately 1,000, of the 3,000 tickets – priced at €29.50 each plus service charge of €3.70 – have been sold so far, which would have made Leisureland a suitable alternative.

However, Music Events Ireland was informed that this venue was not available for the requested date, and that it would also be booked up until November – Leisureland is due to host CERN’s flagship travelling exhibition ‘Accelerating Science’, from September 16-November 9.

“We wanted to reschedule it, which would not have been as bad as cancelling it, but Jedward couldn’t do another date, as they’re booked up until Christmas with gigs and the panto,” a spokesperson for Music Events Ireland told The Sentinel yesterday.

“We are sincerely sorry for cancelling the gig.”

The promoters had contacted the City Council in the spring about the possibility of holding the concert in Salthill Park. This was prior to the Mumford and Sons gig in June, and the Council asked that this event would go ahead – and its suitability established – before any decision could be made about further events.

A Council spokesperson dismissed a suggestion, however, that they were recently approached about moving the gig from New Docks to South Park, which also played a major part in the success of the Volvo Ocean Race.

“It would not be suitable anyway… because of the conditions underfoot,” he said.

“They would need an event licence, in any case, which would take six weeks to get. It has to go out for public consultation, and then back to the City Council for voting on (which does not sit in August).

“The Macnas parade, and the Volvo Festival had to apply for a

licence too, as it has an impact on the environment, and local residents would need to be given the opportunity to see what the plan is, and to comment or object.”

The promoters have said that all those who bought tickets for the event will receive a full refund: “Customers who purchased tickets from Ticketmaster by phone and internet will be credited for their purchase on to the card used for booking. Tickets purchased at a Ticketmaster outlet can be brought back to the purchase location to be refunded.”