Merritt, B.C.’s Rockin River Music Fest cancelled
Posted January 28, 2023 12:11 pm.
Last Updated January 28, 2023 12:29 pm.
Country Music fans in B.C. have one less music festival to attend in 2023, with Merritt’s Rockin River Music Festival cancelled.
Rockin River’s website released a statement on the cancellation Jan. 27, citing economic obstacles as a major reason for shutting the event down.
“We’ve had the pleasure and honour of producing Rockin River Music Fest – bringing country music’s biggest acts to Merritt, BC, and creating countless musical memories along the way.
Over time, we have been met with a series of economic obstacles that we tried our best to overcome, but in the end, we have made the decision not to move forward with the festival in 2023.
We want to thank the City of Merritt who has always welcomed us with open arms, the incredible artists, staff, and most importantly – you, the fans. Many of whom have been loyal since year one,” the statement reads.
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As of Jan. 28, the festival’s website has been stripped, only showing the farewell statement, where ticket pricing and event information resided before.
Rockin River’s cancellation follows another B.C. festival that couldn’t make ends meet. The Vancouver Folk Music Festival (VFMF) announced the shutdown of it’s summer event in mid-January, although a recent update from the VFMF board says it might not be done just yet after an outcry of fan support.
At this point, no announcement has been made on the Rockin River’s fate past 2023. In the meantime, the country music festival’s message to the city of Merritt and regular attendees will at least serve as a temporary goodbye.
“We want to thank the City of Merritt who has always welcomed us with open arms, the incredible artists, staff and most importantly – you, the fans. Many of whom have been loyal since year one,” the farewell statement adds.
