Music festival cancelled (From Croydon Guardian)

Crystal Palace peace concert cancelled

2:05pm Wednesday 15th August 2012 in Local news By Nick Hitchens

A festival of music designed to bring the community together in a day of peace has had to be cancelled.

Crystal Palace Peace Concert had been set to take place on September 1, with a huge range of young London talent, including rapper Chipmunk, lined up to perform.

Weather concerns and the impact of the Olympics were sited as reasons for poor ticket sales, but organiser Mark-Anthony Abel is determined his team’s hard work will not be in vain.

He said: "This comes after 11 months of personal sacrifice from many of our volunteers and those donating to the event. Personal financial contributions from my family of £11,000 and Simon Estridge of £550 will not be wasted as all the foundation work has been achieved to make next year even better than we planned for 2012."

Musician and film director Mr Abel, who lives in Upper Norwood and has experience organising music gigs was inspired to organise the event after witnessing the horrors or the riots.

He had hoped the event could collect about £50,000 for charities around the area.

He said: "The Peace Concert team wishes to extend how deeply disappointed we are to make such a decision and want all acts to know how amazingly talented they all are. "We are especially saddened for Ibrahim Kanu - winner of Southwark College Talent Competition and international Star Chipmunk who was eager to support our cause."

The group hope to arrange an indoor event at Brixton O2 or a similar sized London venue later in the year.

Mr Abel thanked Bromley Council for its support, as well as the volunteers who gave their time to the project and promised a Peace Concert 2013 was in the pipeline.

He said: "We would especially like to thank Bromley Council, Park Rangers and Bromley Police for their sound advice, tolerance and support. "Additional thanks to all the companies that helped where others wouldn’t. We look forward to working with you next year. Thank you for believing in something beautiful."