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The Hope and Glory festival debacle has now reached legendary status in Liverpool after the festival organisers chose to announce they were cancelling the second day with perhaps the most insulting use of brevity ever seen – “No Festival today.”
The festival director Lee O’Hanlon – who had tweeted weeks before the event about ‘finding it hard trying to do everything yourself’ – pulled the plug on Sunday morning amid widespread reports of bottlenecking, shambolic portaloos (just 20 to service 12,00 concert goers), lack of bars and complete lack of professionalism when dealing with the musicians on the Saturday.
Following what will surely come to be studied as the worst way to handle social media PR ever on university courses across the land, for years to come, surfaced a 1700 word statement – largely blaming the council and others as opposed to taking responsibility.
Social media was ablaze with shock and vitriol directed at the Midlands based company, who seemed to come to Liverpool and take advantage of our tourism reputation.
Liverpool City Council have now announced an investigation will be launched into how this disaster happened, after it emerged O’Hanlon’s company Tiny Cow are under similar investigations for nightmare shows in the Isle of Man and were featured in the BBC show Rip Off Britain.
But we at Purple Revolver would like to commend the people and creative businesses of Liverpool, who rallied in the face of this horror show and offered the army of disappointed festival goers with alternative fun, food and drinks offers and even found places for the shunted bands to play.
no festival today
— Hope & Glory (@HopeAndGloryFes) August 6, 2017
Following the #HopeAndGloryFestival on Twitter, here are some of the festival-goers reactions after hearing the news and the statement from the company.
When security are taking their high-via off and quitting in front of you it doesn’t give you much hope #HopeAndGloryfestival
— Caroline Gibson (@carolina_lou) August 5, 2017
Really looking forward to #HopeandGloryFestival 2018. Off to queue up now, just in case.
— Duke Silver (@Carl0sAlbert0) August 6, 2017
I often compose fantasy festival rosters in my head, but I never invite the bands and sell tickets to this daydream. #HopeAndGloryfestival
— Paul Martin (@paulmartin2012) August 6, 2017
Independent Liverpool owner David Williams joked about offering to pay rent after spending so long in the comments section of the Hope and Glory Facebook page.
The Independent Liverpool team were left facing their own PR disaster when their Halloween event suffered a turn for the worse. But David later added that Hope and Glory festival shouldn’t be playing the blame game, but accepting responsibility and trying to resolve disgruntled customers issues and offer refunds.
The arts scene and people of Liverpool came together in an attempt making things easier for the stranded festival goers (anyone remember the city’s spirit in the face of the Grand National being cancelled?) – with offers of food and drink discounts and venues the Zanzibar and EBGBs rehousing gigs for Clean Cut Kid and Charlotte Church.
Written by Ben Harding and Khyle Deen