Soul festival 'shocked' by Ed Sheeran gig clash

Organisers of a soul music festival said they were shocked when Ed Sheeran announced shows on the same dates just miles away.

Venue 16 in Ipswich will host its annual outdoor Summer Soul Vibes festival on 12 July, one of the dates Sheeran will play the town's Portman Road stadium.

Jon Parker, in charge of technical operations for the festival, said the team was worried about the knock-on effects the clash could have on things like transport and hotel availability.

Event manager Jamie Lee Smith said the team had "total respect" for Sheeran but called on him for help. The singer's management team has been approached for comment.

Sheeran announced a series of shows at the home of Ipswich Town Football Club on 11, 12 and 13 July.

The dates have all sold out, with 30,000 fans expected for each performance.

Mr Smith said he was initially "upset" after Sheeran's announcement but was staying positive despite the "big challenge" it would cause the venue.

His soul festival takes place in Venue 16's grounds on Tuddenham Road.

"It's always a risk when you run an event, but if you base it on our last two or three years that we've done it - and we've had a fabulous time here - and it's growing," he explained.

"In general, 10, 12 weeks before the event is probably where half of the tickets are sold, it really starts hotting up.

"We're eight weeks away now and the last four weeks that heat up hasn't been happening."

Mr Smith said a number of other reasons like the cost of living could also be behind the fall in demand for tickets, but described Sheeran's shows as "the icing on the cake".

Mr Parker added he had concerns for the wider infrastructure.

"We know taxis are going to be full, we know trains are going to be hard to come by, we know hotel prices are going to go through the roof, if they are even available anymore," he explained.

"In events, all is fair. We can't deny anybody their slice of the pie but the problem is, when you bring something of that global notoriety into a town, it's going to have a huge knock-on effect on other events."

Organisers said they were now trying to use the clash to their advantage and admitted they may need to "work harder".

They have also written to Sheeran's management team expressing their delight with his return to Portman Road, while also asking for support.

"I'd love Ed to come here and come and see us and what we do because I think he'd be quite impressed with the music scene," Mr Smith added.

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