No Newcastle Festival of Flight in 2022

[jasT1981]

Been confirmed toinght there will be no show in 2022. It was not possible to plan apparently.

[Merlin]

Can't help but feel that there is more to the story than that 

[jasT1981]

It is front page on tomorrows local paper. However, full info is inside the paper so can't see until I get a copy tomorrow. Will update when I read it all. 

[jasT1981]

Full details via Mourne Observer

No 2022 return for the Festival of Flight.

Story by Ryan Sands - Mourne Observer
The Festival of Flight will not be returning to Newcastle this year.

On Monday the councils Enterprise, Tourism and Regeneration committee (ERT) agreed its relaunched tourism programme for 2022/23 in a closed session and the aerial extravanza - An annual crowd puller in pre-pandemic times has not been scheduled.

Confirming the non inclusion, Mournes Sinn Fien Cllr Wille Clarke stated there was now an opertunity to stage a major new event in the town.
"It will not be possible to host the Festival of Flight in Newcastle this year he said.

"Alougth this will be disappointing to regular visitors to the airshow, an opertunity exits to host a new large scale festival in Newcastle this summer, which incorperates and builds on the most popular elements of the festival - A showcase of the outstanding food and drink of the region and Newcastle alongside incorperating the arts, culture and music, creating opertunities to showcase the entrepreneurail spirit and poinerring innovaion of the district."

The local representatve confirmed he had requested a meeting with officers to explore different themes for the festival including improving on the narative of Slieve Donard.
"On the summit of Slieve Donard there are remains of two prehistoric burrial cairns one of which remains the highest known passage tomb in Ireland" He said.
"In Irish mythologythe mountain was associated with, and named after mythical figures Boithe and Slangha.

It was later associated with and named after St Donard who was said to have made the summit his hemitage and this can be linked with the increase in walking in the Mournes!
Cllr Clarke also said he also wanted to explore a nautical theme celebrating the rich maritme history of the area, outdoor water sports, and the possibility of a regional  dish competition.
"This oppertuinity presents us with the chance to showcase everything that is good about Newcastle, for visitors and locals alike" he concluded.

"The positive impact of the councils tourism events programme provides support for local business, helps sustain business, helps to sustain jobs and create economic return across the district."
The Festival of Flight was last held in 2019 when over 100,000 spectators turned out to watch the Red Arrows take to the skies for an aerobatic display.
The event fell oul of the pandemic in 2020 & 2021 and to the weather in 2018.

When contacted for comment, a council spokesman highlighted that Monday's discussion was held in a closed session and, as such, "details of the confirmed events programme for the incoming finincial year will be announced in due course, subject to ratification by full council"

[jasT1981]

Small update on the full reasoning behind no show in 2022

Regularly attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the resort and significantly boosting the local economy, there will be disappointment that despite the easing of Covid restrictions, the international event won’t proceed.

Council officials say that due to the challenges in planning such a major festival, securing commitments from participants and with the uncertainty caused to date by the pandemic, organising this year’s event would not be possible.

http://www.thedownrecorder.co.uk/pages/?title=Festival_of_Flight_grounded

[Angry Turnip]

So basically they want to replace a popular and successful airshow, with a big feed and drink session, then stare in awe at the mountains until you fall over.
It`s like a missing episode of Father Ted. 

[jasT1981]

So basically they want to replace a popular and successful airshow, with a big feed and drink session, then stare in awe at the mountains until you fall over.
It`s like a missing episode of Father Ted.

Yes they want to incorperate the most sucessful element of the airshow, the food villiage into a festival.

The food villiage and other aspects on the ground were only popular because there was an airshow in town. Without an airshow they would not draw a big crowd. FoF pulled in 100k visitors a year, B&Bs and hotels booked out for months before-hand. I don't see anything coming anywhere near that.  We had a massive outdoor concert headlined by the prodigy a few years before the airshow started and nowhere near that number cvame, Circut of Ireland rally and the Olympic torch didn't draw big numbers. The airshow is the crowd puller. By comparision the other 2 'Giant adventures' only pull 20k over a weekend.

St Patrick's day parade is big, but again I don't think the crowd will be anywhere near airshow levels.

There is significiant backlash over the decission.

Basically what happened is they left it too late to plan and are unable to host it. Given they have ran a show since 2010 with planning for that starting in 2009,  you would think they would know work on a show starts almost a year before and applications for the RAF displays have to be in by the end of September the year before. Uncertainty over Covid I get, we didn't know how Omicron was going to be, but it doesn't excuse no planning.

I love having a show in my back garden and am disappointed in it not happening this year, but truhfully since I started going to RIAT, Duxford and Cosford each year, the displays here just aren't hitting the same, and it was the same for Portrush. It's still a great show, and the displays are fantastic, but it has long moved to being a family show with Pitt's Specials and Extra 300s than the Enthusiasts show it was before the councils merged which had Hunters, Vulcans, Canberras, Gnats etc along with private owned Spitfires and P51s etc.

Edit - not a shot at the events team who I've built up a great relationship with. They found out just before news broke.  More a shot at the decision makers.

[jasT1981]

I know it's very late, and sorry to bump. I have written an article detailing the cancellation, reaction from local businesses and comments from local Cllrs and MLAs regarding the show being cancelled. My first real attempt to write anything of substance in over 10 years.

https://tinyurl.com/NewcastleFoF2022

[jasT1981]

Sorry to bump, last one I promise.

My article got picked up by a local newspaper and was published yesterday. Few changes from the origional.

Replacement 'Festival' to be announced soon. It won't be pulling 100k people thats for sure.



[attachment deleted by admin]

[Angry Turnip]

"Behind Closed Doors " and an advert for electric garage doors, oh those crazy journo`s are so funny.

[Sneaky_Nikon]

"Behind Closed Doors " and an advert for electric garage doors, oh those crazy journo`s are so funny.

Has to done, once set three quarter page ads for fashion retailers, all of which used the line "Dare to be different!" On the same page. Yeah. That one caused a ruckus.

[casper]

That's nothing, the Lurgan Mail once did a front page article about the death of someone. Underneath was an ad for an Undertaker.

[jasT1981]

Quite possible this could be the replacement. The already exisiting Lunasa Festival is returning and is going to be promoted/funded by NMD this summer.

Not confirmed as  it is still going through council, but a lot lines up to what Cllr Clarke was talking about in terms of a festival to replace the FoF

[attachment deleted by admin]

[jasT1981]

Annnnd we have the replacement

Eats and Beats Festival, Newcastle
New to the Giant Adventures line-up will be the Eats and Beats Festival on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 September in Newcastle, Co. Down. Bringing you the best in local and world food and music, the Eats and Beats festival weekend will see five music stages providing 70+ free performances.

There will be two homegrown and world food villages with over 80 unique and locally produced food and beverage outlets.  Visitors can experience food trails, cooking demos and food sampling, as well as a host of family fun and wellness activities. Save the date as this is going to be a weekend not to be missed.

[jasT1981]

And here is the 'replacement' in full.

I live in Newcastle, so will take a pop down. BUT it is not the type of thing I would travel any distance too if I didn't live here. They will be lucky to bring in 20k people over the weekend.

https://www.visitmournemountains.co.uk/whats-on/giant-adventures/eats-and-beats-festival-newcastle

[jasT1981]

2023 is a no go, council didn't even consider it even though they passed a motion to work towards putting the Festival of Flight back on the 2023 events.

There is a commitment to work towards 2024.

[Angry Turnip]

I doubt there will be any kind of air show in Northern Ireland any time soon. If it`s not councils crying about fleeegs, or coloured smoke, or war-mongering, then it`s the costs involved.
Insurance costs have become a huge problem, not just for organisers, but the display acts and pilots themselves.