Olympics cultural festival put on ice | Stage | guardian.co.uk

A major comedy and cultural festival due to run alongside the Olympics has been put on hold.

Organisers of the first Scipmylo festival – Olympics backwards – have stopped selling tickets for the event, which was to include performances by Alan Davies, Dylan Moran and Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. Existing ticketholders have been issued with refunds.

The festival, which was to take place on Hackney Marshes, near the Olympic Park, was intended to be the first of its kind, with future incarnations each year designed to preserve the Olympics’ legacy in the local area. Its website describes the aim “to establish a ‘torch of legacy’ for the people of east London long after the Olympic flame has moved on.”

However, the organisers of the festival, which was sponsored by the free daily newspaper Metro, have expressed their intention to “rescue” the event on its Facebook page . A message on its website explains the situation: “For reasons beyond our control we have had to put the festival on hold. We do hope to be able to restart, but think it only fair not to sell any further tickets while we sort things out.”

It has been reported that financial difficulties are behind the decision but both websites say: “Contrary to the rumours going around, Scipmylo has not gone bust.”

Other acts that were scheduled to appear include Soul II Soul, Death in Vegas and comedians Ardal O’Hanlon and Milton Jones. Scipmylo is not officially affiliated to the London 2012 festival.

via Olympics cultural festival put on ice | Stage | guardian.co.uk.

Strange Random Festival Quote:

“Festival of the impassioned efforts and manifold ambitions of all forms of youthful activity of every generation springing from the threshold of life.” – Pierre de Coubertin (French Educator, primarily responsible for the revival of the Olympic Games in 1894. 1863-1937)

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