14/04/2026
๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ: ๐๐ก๐ ๐
๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ
It is with a heavy heart that, after almost 20 years of running the annual community festival in Rochester, the organisers have taken the difficult decision to cancel future events. This decision follows several challenges, including reduced attendance, rising costs, and difficulties recruiting volunteers to committee positions. Sadly, this has also been the fate of several other independent festivals, operating in increasingly challenging environments.
While the stage may be going dark for now, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible community that made this festival possible year after year.
We want to extend our deepest gratitude to:
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐
๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ: For graciously allowing us to transform your fields into a home for music.
๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐จ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐
๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ค๐ฌ: For your unwavering support and for keeping us all well-fed and watered
๐
๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฒ, For support, sponsorship, Beers, and so much more
๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ: The heartbeat of the festival. We couldn't have gone on for so long without your selfless hard work.
๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ: For bringing the color, the flavor, and the literal roof over our heads.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ: To the many artists who shared their talent with usโthank you for the soundtrack to so many unforgettable memories.
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ, ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐: Your energy and love for live music is what made Redefest so special.
Finally, we must apologise to everyone affected by this decision, including our loyal local supporters, musicians, artists, traders, suppliers, and volunteers, but after hours of heartsearching, we could not find any other workable options
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ:
๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ฏ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก@๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ.๐๐จ.๐ฎ๐ค.
The Redefest Team
