Haslemere Fringe 2020 postponed to July 2021 - Click to read our full statement here
FIRST THE BAD NEWS
It is with great sadness that the committee of the Haslemere Fringe has decided to postpone this year’s planned event until 2021 because of the current unprecedented Coronavirus crisis. The move follows advice from the UK Government and Public Health England for everyone but key workers to stay at home to save lives and protect the NHS.
The decision was taken to safeguard the thousands of people who attend the bi-annual event and the many volunteers who help run the festival.
Committee Chairman Ken Griffiths says ‘all of us involved in planning this years event are sad to have to reschedule but we understand the need to keep everyone safe and are hoping that next year we can all gather in safety and celebrate coming through the crisis with another terrific festival here in Haslemere’.
HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS
Headline acts Newton Faulkner, Sophie Elis Bextor and Sleeper have already signed up for next years event with other artists, local groups and performers who were previously booked rapidly signing up too.
Held in July on Lion Green in the heart of Haslemere the event has grown in numbers and reputation and organisers are hopeful the postponed event now scheduled to take place on July 2nd to 4th 2021 will be bigger and better than ever before.
The festival also engages with local schools as pupils contribute everything from poetry to artwork and many of the talented young bands who are featured on stage. The Fringe Festival team would like to thank all the schools and pupils for all their hard work on this year’s event and look forward to working with them and youth clubs, colleges and other local groups in 2021.
With our two major headliners in place, all tickets have been automatically transferred to the same day in 2021. So if you originally booked for Saturday 4th July 2020, your ticket will now be valid for Saturday 3rd July 2021. We’ll be contacting all ticket holders within the month of April to ask them whether they wish to keep the transferred ticket or take a refund instead.
The Haslemere Fringe Festival has always been committed to supporting charities. This year the chosen charity is the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care who would have benefitted from the event because of the voluntary donation attached to ticket sales. The Government/NHS only provide around 20% of Phyllis Tuckwell income, and they have to raise over £20,000 every single day to offer their services. That task has been made so much harder by the covid-19 crisis. Phyllis Tuckwell is the only Hospice Care service for adult patients, and their families, living with cancer or another advanced or terminal illness (such as heart, lung or neurological disease) across the whole of West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire. Support can be offered directly on the Phyllis Tuckwell website www.pth.org.uk, or through the Haslemere Fringe box office by clicking here. We hope to start offering tickets for sale again Haslemere Fringe 2021 by May 2020.
For the latest government information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) please visit www.gov.uk/…/organisat…/department-of-health-and-social-care
Headline artists already confirmed for 2021
Friday 2nd July
Sleeper
Britpop icons, Sleeper, who enjoyed huge critical and commercial success in the mid 90’s with well over a million sales, is to play at The Haslemere Fringe Festival, closing Friday night as part of this hugely popular biennial event, which runs from Friday, 3rd – Sunday 5th July.
With music characterized by astute, observational lyrics and big, hook driven melodies, the band, comprising Louise Wener, Jon Stewart, Andy Maclure and Kieron Pepper (previously of The Prodigy), also had two tracks featured on the era defining movie ‘Trainspotting’: which was named as one of the best film soundtracks of all time by the likes of music mag, Rolling Stone.
Their album ‘SMART’, which featured the hit “Inbetweener” is 25 years old this month and Sleeper have re-issued the album to celebrate this benchmark, together with their new album, ‘The Modern Age.’
Sleeper has garnered front covers across the music press and appeared numerous times on key music shows of the time like TFI Friday, Jools Holland and Top Of The Pops. The band has played the main stages of Reading, Glastonbury, V and Shepherd’s Bush Empire, along with a sell-out tour across the UK in 2019.
Saturday 3rd July
Newton Faulkner
Ever since his first No 1 album ‘Hand Built By Robots’ hit the music world Newton Faulkner has been astounding audiences with his percussive guitar led songs that touch on everyday life, love and challenges with thought provoking lyrics.
Six further hit albums followed along with a number of EP’s, plus the first greatest hits album for this innovative artist from Reigate in Surrey.
Newton will be touring the UK this year and the Haslemere Fringe Festival offers fans the chance to see him again in Surrey and join thousands of visitors who come to one of the South of England’s best known festivals.
Sunday 4th July
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
The multi-million selling British music star Sophie Ellis Bextor is to play out the last night, July 5th of one of the South of England’s best-known festivals – The Haslemere Fringe.
With massive chart hits including ‘Groovejet’ and ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ Ellis Bextor’s unique vocal style and stage presence have made her an international super star.
Festival Coordinator Paul Ashton says ‘we’re delighted that Sophie Ellis Bextor has agreed to close this year’s festival which has grown every single time it’s held. We’re proud that artists of Sophie’s stature, now recognise this event as one of the leading festivals in the South of England’.
Known as ‘The Dance Queen’ and ‘Mademoiselle EB’ Sophie established herself as a vocal and dance talent with her debut album ‘Read My Lips’ in 2001 and has enjoyed continuing success more recently with her 2016 album ‘Familia’ which saw her back in the charts with her hit song ‘Come With Us’.
