'End of an era' for mega-concert Salmon Festival, after $1.1M loss in 2 years

It looks like this year's Exploits Valley Salmon Festival will bethe last one to getmoney from the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor.

""The world has changed, the environment has changed, the market has changedand we have to respond to that,"said Coun. Darren Finn, chair of the 2015 festival.

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According to the Finn,low ticket sales for the 2015 concert resulted in a $667,000 loss. That's on top of a$476,899 loss in 2014.

Grand Falls-Windsor Mayor Al Hawkins said after the loss last year, the town took a chance, hoping the 2015 festival would bounce back.

"We had twovery successful ones and now of course the last two have been devastating," he said.

"That's not the type of risk that you want to take for a third year in a row."

Hawkins said the town itself is on the hook for that money, and council can't take that risk with taxpayers' moneyagain in 2016.

'We suffered the most'

Hawkins said while the "solid" lineup this year with John Fogerty headlining was good, and the concert and performers were outstanding, Salmon Festival just couldn't compete.

The package will be back to our roots, before we got to the big bands, which also have big ticket prices.-Coun.DarrenFinn

"There are only so many people in Newfoundland and Labrador that are concertgoers," said Hawkins.

"When you put off two or three major concerts in the summer then obviously everybody's going to suffer,but we obviously suffered the most this year.

"Any time you make money everybody's happy, when you lose money they're not and that's just the name of the game."

Hawkins was referring to competition on the Avalon Peninsula the same weekendfromthe Confederation Hill Music Festival.

• Confederation Hill promoter to 'take serious look' at future festivals

In July, Finn told CBC News before the final numbers were in that the 31st annual festival was a success, and there would be a 32nd show in 2016.

Roughly 6,200 people attended the 2015 festival. In 2014, the attendance was 8,500 which was considered a small crowd.

The Salmon Festival has been an annual concert in central Newfoundland for more than three decades.

Festival will go 'back to ourroots'

Finn said while the John Fogertyconcert this past summer was asuccess from the point of view of the audience, the loss of the bottom line simply isn't something the town of Grand Falls-Windsor can risk happening again.

"We need to change because the risk is not worth it, but we willcertainly still have a salmon festival," FinnsaidThursday.

"The concert will turn backto 2010 where we left off, attracting good Newfoundland and Atlantic entertainment, possibly other entertainment from Canada," he said.

"The package will be back to our roots, before we got to the big bands, which also have big ticket prices."

Finn said a performer like John Fogerty can cost well over $1 million to bring in, which poses a considerable risk for the town if the turnout is low.

With other festivals springing up closer to the Avalon Peninsula, where most people in the province live, Finn said Salmon Festival organizers have to be realistic aboutthe levelof entertainment they want to pay to come to central Newfoundland.

"Obviously [Confederation Hill]had an impact, you could see it on our field and the amount ofpeople on the field," he said.

'But the Salmon Festival is a point of pride for ourcommunity, it's a celebration of our community. So we will continue with festivals and celebrations, and we have a track record of 30 years of festivalsso we have to be proud of that."