The future of the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, the world’s longest-running annual cricket festival, is now in doubt. The Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is in such dire financial straits that it may cease to exist. This iconic event founded in 1872 has been a bedrock of local culture for more than 150 years. In the past few years, the perfect storm has created deeply alarming decreases in ticket sales alongside skyrocketing operational costs.
The 2024 Festival takes place at the College Ground in Cheltenham. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has faced mounting fiscal challenges. Peter Matthews, chair of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, had given equally frightening testimony. The club has since been running annual losses of “tens of thousands of pounds.” He emphasized that the organization “can’t run the event long term at a loss,” highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Last year’s festival was particularly difficult, Matthews said. It was so cold there were flurries, and we ended up missing our expected number of street-side spectators. The cost of putting the festival on has increased dramatically in recent years as well.
To address these obstacles, the club recently created a new committee. Their effort is intended to increase attendance at this year’s SunGrown Festival. The committee has produced an action plan that includes a set of stellar, unique events to draw even more visitors. This year, attendees can expect a boundary-pushing ‘boundary hub’ loaded with fun and interactive experiences. They’ll get to meet the presenters of BBC’s Bargain Hunt, local jockeys and the players from Cheltenham Town FC.
The cricket festival will include a community cricket memorabilia showcase. It will provide local groups, such as Cheltenham Town Community Trust, an opportunity to promote and fundraise for their projects. Tess Warby from Cheltenham Town Community Trust noted the importance of community collaboration: “Sport brings people together at the football club. The Cheltenham cricket festival brings another community together. It’s nice to work with a local organization to help build awareness.”
Matthews expressed optimism about the upcoming festival, stating, “We’ve put together an action plan, we’ve put together a new team and we’ve got some great events lined up. We’re very hopeful this year we will see a change in finances for the county.”
Even with these efforts, there are still lingering concerns about the overall long term sustainability of the festival. Meanwhile, the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club has been working hard to secure a new home at the outskirts of Bristol. This preliminary statement is a sign of a more systemic effort to revive cricket in the area.
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