Quick outline
- What went wrong (and how I found out)
- What the refund looked like, step by step
- Travel and hotel snags
- What I did instead
- What I wish the organizer had done
- Tips if your festival gets pulled
- Final take and rating
The email that stopped me in my tracks
Two days before the weekend, I got an email with the subject line: “IMEP Festival Lancashire — Cancellation Notice.” My stomach dropped. I had my boots by the door. I’d charged my power bank. I was ready.
The message was short, almost clipped. It said the site was waterlogged after heavy rain, and safety was the reason (turns out the BBC later covered the deluge that soaked much of the North West that week, so the timing checks out). No blame. No drama. Just a clear “we can’t do this.” You know what? I respect that. Mud’s one thing. Bad ground under heavy kit is another. For anyone looking for more context, the organizers have since put out an official statement for IMEP Music Festival 2025 that goes deeper into what happened and what comes next.
The email also said refunds would be automatic through Skiddle. They pasted a small FAQ in the body too—what gets refunded, what doesn’t, and how long it might take. That helped. I didn’t love it, but I wasn’t left guessing.
My refund: the nuts and bolts
- Ticketing: I’d bought two Saturday tickets on Skiddle.
- What happened: The refund started the same night. I got the “refund initiated” email at 7:42 pm.
- When it cleared: The money hit my Monzo card four business days later.
- Fees: No booking fee back, which stung a bit. Not the end of the world, but still.
I’ve had messier refunds. This one was clean. No forms. No chasing. No “please be patient” loops.
Travel and hotel: the hidden cost
I’d booked the Premier Inn in Preston (Flexible rate). Thank goodness. I canceled in the app and got a full refund within minutes. If I’d chosen the cheaper Saver rate, I’d have been stuck.
Train-wise, I had an Off-Peak Day Return I grabbed on Trainline. I requested a refund before travel. It went through, minus a small admin fee. Not fun, but fair. If I’d picked an Advance ticket, I’d have paid a change fee or eaten the cost. Lesson learned (again).
Gear-wise, I’d bought:
- Loop earplugs (I keep them for gigs)
- An Anker 523 power bank (handy, even for school runs)
- A crinkly poncho from Decathlon that smells like a pool float
Those didn’t go to waste, which made me feel a little better.
The backup day that saved my mood
We still took the train up. Not to mope. To salvage the weekend.
- Coffee at Atkinsons in Lancaster. Smooth, a little nutty. Warm seats by the window.
- A slow walk in Williamson Park. Damp leaves, kids chasing pigeons, that tiny wind that sneaks into your sleeves.
- A steak pie from Potts Pies. Hot, flaky, perfect with brown sauce.
- A sunset shuffle by the river. We counted the dogs. Twelve. One wore a yellow raincoat. I wanted to clap.
- A proper dinner detour to The Three Fishes in Mitton, whose seasonal menus get rave reviews.
It wasn’t a festival. But it still felt like a day out. And my boots got muddy anyway.
What the organizer did right (and what missed)
What worked:
- Early notice. Two days isn’t loads, but it beats a gate-side shock.
- Plain language. No spin, no blame game.
- Automatic refunds. No forms, no queue.
What fell short:
- No clear update on parking or shuttle refunds. A single line would help.
- No “we’ll be back” note. Even a soft promise helps morale.
- Social posts lagged the email by a few hours. Folks were confused in comments. A pinned post would calm things fast.
Small things, big feelings. That’s how events work.
If your festival gets canceled: do this fast
- Book hotels with free cancellation. Flexible beats Saver when clouds look nasty.
- Buy flexible train tickets if you can. Or use a retailer that lets you refund unused ones online.
- Screenshot your QR codes and the cancellation email. You may need proof.
- Follow the organizer’s social posts plus the ticketing app alerts.
- Keep a backup plan: a museum, a park, a café. Don’t let the day die.
One extra: pack snacks. Sad news hits softer with a flapjack.
Sometimes the bigger gut punch is losing the ready-made crowd you were gearing up to mingle with. If the social itch still needs scratching—especially around university hubs where nightlife can be lively—you could pivot from muddy fields to meeting new people through your phone. For a quick primer on apps that are tailored to connecting with the student scene, check out this breakdown of the best platforms for hooking up with college-aged festival-goers which compares features, safety settings, and costs so you can decide whether it’s worth firing up another download before the night is gone.
If your rerouted travels ever drop you on the U.S. West Coast instead—say you fly into San Francisco and end up exploring wine country—a hyper-local listings board can be just the ticket for turning an aimless evening into something a bit more electric. The curated directory at AdultLook’s Petaluma page lays out who’s available, rates, and verified reviews, making it easier to land trusted, same-day companionship without wading through sketchy ads or wasting precious downtime.
Final take
I was gutted. I really was. But safety matters, and the team handled the basics well. Refunds moved. Emails were clear. The rest? A bit rough at the edges, yet not careless.
Would I try IMEP again if they return? Yeah. With flexible bookings, and a better rain plan in my head.
Rating
- Communication: 4/5
- Refund speed: 4.5/5
- Travel pain: 3/5 (not their fault, but it hurts)
- Overall experience of the cancellation: 3.5/5
Small note to the crew: next time, pin that social update fast, add two lines on travel and parking, and give us a hopeful nudge about what’s next. It helps people breathe.
—Kayla Sox