Thousands of South Africans are angry this morning as they wake up to the news that the Tribe One Festival has been cancelled.

Yesterday, The Juice told you how the festival was under threat, after we had reliably learnt that stage preparations had not even begun.

In the early hours of this morning, (ja, they tried to pull a sneaky one on us) RockStar 4000 confirmed that the festival was canned. But they're placing the blame of The City of Tswhane.

TRIBE ONE BLAMES THE CITY

The event was to be hosted by the City of Tshwane ("CoT"). Site preparation and related infrastructure development required to host the Festival, being the responsibility of the CoT, fell behind schedule to a material extent, such that it was no longer realistically possible to stage and deliver the Festival to the scale and quality that the organizers had always planned. Under the circumstances, and despite efforts to seek alternative arrangements, the organizers have had no option but to cancel the event.

THE CITY IS HAVING NONE OF IT

The event organisers have sent us the notification letter to cancel the event, but the City is challenging the decision in court.

Although the City has, in good faith, supported the festival by providing a venue for the festival, installing the necessary infrastructure, and making an agreed financial contribution, the City recently learnt with shock of the event organiser’s’ ( led by Sony Music Entertainment Africa) unilateral decision not to proceed with the staging of the mega music festival.

The organisers had chosen an open space which had no infrastructure whatsoever for the venue, and requested the City to develop roads, install water supply and electricity and prepare the stage area, all of which the City delivered.

The City attempted to meet with the event organisers last week, in a last ditch attempt to salvage the festival. In fact, the City suggested ways to salvage the staging of this historic festival. Our suggestions were however rebuffed by the event organisers and our efforts were unsuccessful.

The City has also learnt through various sources that the event organisers have apparently failed to meet some of their financial obligations to the suppliers they had procured to assist with the staging of the event.

IT'S GOING TO COURT

The City had, in good faith, associated itself with the SONY-led event organizers due to the credibility of the SONY brand. To have to inform music enthusiasts who had planned to attend and witness headline acts billed to perform in the three-day fiesta about these developments is regretful and disappointing, to say the least.

The City has now approached the courts in a bid to keep the festival alive. The City's last hope now rests squarely in the hands of the courts. Since the matter is before the courts, no further details on the matter can be divulged. Issued by the Communication, Marketing and Events Department

WE ALL LOSE

While they squabble in court, the fact remains that we've paid for tickets, made travel arrangements and already practised our Anaconda moves for Nicki Minaj. We are appalled!