This past summer's Home County Music & Art Festival may have been London's last.
Organizers of the long running three-day event announced Thursday it will not be returning to Victoria Park next year or, possibly, ever again.
According to the Board of Directors of the Home County Folk League, the charity behind the festival, the decision to cancel the 2024 edition was a "difficult" one that was not made lightly.
"We know this cancellation is going to be met with great sadness for all the passionate Home County fans," said Board Chair Sara Lanthier. "As a Board, we had to set aside personal feelings and recognize our current financial situation and difficulties in recruiting and retaining volunteers would make holding the festival irresponsible."
She added that the board is also assessing the "ongoing viability" of both the festival and the Home County Folk League.
Home County has been a staple summer festival in London each year since its creation in 1974. It requires a contingent of up to 200 volunteers to put on and draws an estimated 50,000 people to the downtown park over the course of its annual three day run. The festival features multiple stages, a long list of performers, and dozens of artisan, craft, and food vendors. Admission has always been by donation.
Officials said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the festival online for two years, there has been a "dramatic shift" in the event's core participants and supporters. Increased event costs, a lack of funding, and a volunteer shortage were also cited as reasons behind the cancellation and review of future operations.
Results of the assessment of the festival's future will be shared at the league's annual general meeting next month.
"We’ll be sharing financial, organizational, and market factors along with recommendations developed during our strategic planning process," said Lanthier. "Once we have input from our membership, we’ll be in a position to determine next steps and plan for both the near- and long-term.”
The outcome of that meeting will be posted to the Home County website and social media channels.