The Dereham Blues Festival Is Back In 2022!
The Dereham Blues Festival will be back in 2022 after the last two years’ festivals had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions.
The organising Committee kept assessing the current restriction measures and what it meant for our unique festival in the town. Sadly, the decision had to be taken twice that it was simply not possible to hold the 2020 festival and then again in 2021 and keep everyone - the bands, the festival-goers and venues safe throughout.
However, the DBF Committee did not stop meeting. This was not only to keep assessing and tracking if there were any options that might be do-able for holding some form of alternative or reduced format festival, but also it was good for the Committee’s “esprit de corps”.
We also managed to keep the finances going. One important regular source of funds to the DBF comes from enthusiasts and festival goers contributing to the "Our Breckland Lottery" fund. Thank you so much to all who contribute. It is really important for the running of the festival. For more information or if you want to participate, go to the Dereham Blues Festival website page dedicated to the lottery fund at
https://www.derehambluesfestival.org.uk/support-us/breckland-lottery .
It was horrible to make the decisions we did because we know what the festival means to the town, the bands and all those faithful blues fans who love the free and easy atmosphere of this special festival. The Committee tracked the Covid situation, and we carefully mapped resulting decision points. In the end the Committee felt we all did the right thing and made the best decisions. We know there was disappointment from all concerned, but the sensible and safety-first decisions we took were the difficult but right ones.
Now we are busy planning the Festival in 2022 and the dates are the 6th to the 10th of July 2022. So put the dates in your diary straight away! We are so looking forward to getting back on the blues festival machine again. The successful format of using free to enter venues in and around the town will again be used. A couple of the venues from previous years have had to make changes brought on by Covid restrictions and sadly are unable to host bands in 2022. Fear not, as the Committee have already signed up two other replacement venues. More details will be announced later in further news updates. So, still “Much more than 12 bars o’ blues in the heart of Norfolk”. Watch this space!
Covid has been tough for everyone, but especially so for bands. No venues to play and little or no chance to meet up for much of the time even to rehearse and develop new material. This is all changing now and we especially want to hear again from regular Festival acts and new artists and bands wanting to play at next year’s festival. The “Wanna play” page on the festival’s website is the place to go. Get your applications in as soon as you can at https://www.derehambluesfestival.org.uk/wanna-play .
So the message is …… “We’re back for 2022’. There is a lot of pent-up demand and energy to get back out there. So bands set up your instruments, put new strings on, venues again get ready to host bands, and most of all, all you festival goers out there, start making your plans now. I for one together with the rest of the Committee can’t wait.
Onwards and upwards!
Harry Collins - Chairman, The Dereham Blues Festival Committee.