Kernowfornia cancelled after organiser goes bust

A music festival in Cornwall to headlined by singer James Morrison has been cancelled after the company behind it ran into financial problems.

The Kernowfornia Festival was due to take place on East Looe Beach in September, but Gracenote Promotion has announced it is shutting down. Ticket-holders will not be offered refunds.

Organisers said on social media "recent financial developments" had left it with "no responsible alternative" but to begin the process of liquidation.

Gracenote Promotion organiser and director Jonathan Robert Stafford said he was "truly, deeply sorry", and said he had suffered "devastating personal financial consequences" as a result of the decision.

The Kernowfornia Festival was first staged in 2025 as a three-day event to celebrate Cornwall, and bringing people together through "music, community and shared experiences".

It was formed as a successor to the Looe music festival Making Waves, started in 2011, which was cancelled in 2018 when it was overwhelmed by debts.

This year's festival was expected to feature headliners such as James Morrison, Kula Shaker, and Reef.

Last year's headliners included Marillion and Embrace.

"Although our journey has come to an end far sooner than we ever imagined, we remain immensely proud of what Kernowfornia achieved and the community that grew around it," said Stafford.

"As organiser and director of Gracenote Promotion, I have also suffered devastating personal financial consequences.

"Having personally guaranteed a number of the company's financial obligations, I have been left with no choice but to enter into personal bankruptcy, the consequences of which will remain with me for many years to come," he said.

He went on to say every decision his company made was "driven by a genuine belief" of building financially sustainable festivals.

Stafford said he was "so incredibly sorry" to those who had already booked tickets for the festival but they were "not in a financial position to offer refunds".

He suggested people with tickets should contact their bank and claim "services not received

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