Is Festival Republic to blame for The Big Chill regulars' dissapointment?

2010, the year that the growing festival promoter Festival Republic took over The Big Chill.  A festival which has been close to many regular atendees' hearts... but for how much longer?


Stricter security, tent burglary, as well as a cut-back on loos and recycling bins lead to a very messy camp on Monday morning (9th August), along with numerous unhappy Big Chillers.  With the cut-backs perhaps to pay for the increased regulation at the arena entrances? and substituted with extra volunteers to clean-up the overflowing bins and litter?

According to Big Chill's official Facebook page, some dedicated festival followers may not return for the following year, and some may not return at all after their experiences of 2010.

An angry regular rants on Big Chill's official Facebook page.

Can we blame this solely on Festival Republic?


The festival's founder, Pete Lawrence, told online magazine Beehive City that Big Chill has lost its relevance.  He goes on to explain, “It has followed the general trend for blanding out and a lot of people I know, no longer go. The whole festival concept has got tired.”

Festival Republic's founder Melvin Benn argues that his event company has brought further “care and attention” to the annual event, along with a greater cohesion to the line-up. By adding more commercial artists? I'm not so sure.

To see the full article, click the link below:

'The Big Chill is now a corporate bore' says festival founder


I have come to the conclusion that the festival has had to evolve with time.  People age and grow out of old ways, while new generations of teens flock to festivals across the globe each year... and they have especially seemed to have changed the hands of Big Chill's time.

It's the circle of (festival) life... If you want to put it like that.  Festival Republic cannot be 100% to blame for some of the Chill goers' dissapointment.  Maybe expectations have been heightened?  However, the strength of opinion that [ex]regulars have shown about The Big Chill 2010 elaborates this will be an ongoing talking-point, and it most definitely won't be the final festival to change its ways.


It goes to show, money talks and times change. Whether for the good or the bad, is for you to decide.