Bay organiser to fund refunds from asset sales

Ticket holders for the now cancelled Bay Festival, which was due to take place on the Isle of Man last weekend, with Tinie Tempah and Westlife set to headliner, are facing a battle for refunds. Organiser Jonathan Irving who blamed the cancellation on poor ticket sales, and a lack of support from the island's government for failing to support the event, also said that the Isle of Man’s government was to blame for pursuing a sister company in an unpaid tax dispute which distracted Irving’s team when they should have been publicising their festival. Initially ticket holders were told they'd get full refunds but with ticket agent HMV having already handed over revenues to promoters, who had in turn paid it on to artists and service providers in upfront payments, Irving now says he has to sell assests to meet refunds. Irving says he has no future plans to stage an event on the island.