The future of Sweden’s Gefle Metal Festival (GMF) is uncertain after organisers announced the 2024 edition will not take place.
GMF has been held annually in Gasklockorna, Gävle since 2016, with FKP Scorpio stepping in to ensure this year’s festival could proceed following the collapse of promoter TADC Sweden.
A statement to fans made in the aftermath of the 10,000-cap 2023 event, staged from 13-15 July, confirms that next year’s festival will not go ahead.
“It has now been seven weeks since we met at Gefle Metal Festival,” reads the post. “Since then, we have done lots of thinking and analysed extensively. Unfortunately, we have come to the decision that there will be no Gefle Metal Festival in 2024.
“Gefle Metal Festival has never been about making any significant profits. It has been a festival driven by passion – because we truly love this. At the same time, the finances have to add up, and the truth is that – even though we are proud of each and every year of the Gefle Metal Festival – it has been challenging to make ends meet every year.”
“There will be no festival in 2024. What the future holds after 2024, only time will tell”
TADC Sweden filed for bankruptcy in November 2022, citing “lingering effects from the pandemic”, increased costs and reduced ticket sales. The Gothenburg-headquartered company typically staged more than 300 concerts a year in Scandinavia, as well as GMF, Atlas Rock in Gävle and the summer series Rock På Skansen in Stockholm.
Formed in 2015 by the merger of Edward Janson’s Triffid Productions and Chris Rotenius’ Danger Music & Media, the firm was known as Triffid and Danger Concerts before rebranding to TADC
GMF describes this year’s festival, which starred the likes of Amon Amarth, Watain, Kreator, Dismember, Abbath and Dark Funeral, as “very special”.
“For a long time, neither you nor we knew if there would even be a festival,” it continues. “Then FKP Scorpio stepped in and ensured that this year’s festival could still take place so that you could enjoy the festival you had already purchased tickets for. For that, we are grateful.
“But as we look ahead, we see that we need to focus on other things. We have many great shows in the pipeline, and we want to be able to dedicate all of our energy to them. Therefore, we are putting Gefle Metal Festival on hold. There will be no festival in 2024. What the future holds after 2024, only time will tell.”
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