McFly, UB40 and other gigs cancelled as promoter goes bust

Fans have been left disappointed after a promoter ceased trading, forcing high-profile gigs to be cancelled.

M&B Promotions said it was with "deep regret" that it had to cancel events scheduled this year across the country.

Some McFly and UB40 shows organised for the summer in Lincolnshire, Leeds, Gloucester and Northamptonshire have been affected.

Amee, a McFly fan from Cumbria, tweeted the band: "Such a same your Gloucester show in June has been cancelled."

Performances by comedians John Bishop and Nish Kumar, as well as a Comedy in the Park festival scheduled for various venues have also been axed.

Fan Sarah Harby said she was "gutted" to learn the McFly gig at the Lincolnshire Showground had been cancelled after it was rescheduled from last year due to the pandemic.

"We were really looking forward to seeing it. It was my sister's 30th birthday present," she said.

"At the minute we're just struggling to get our money back. It's just not fair."

Jayne Southall, CEO of the Lincolnshire Showground, said: "We had no reason to think it wouldn't go ahead this year or the company would cease trading.

"So we're very disappointed and we're also disappointed for all the people who've purchased tickets."

In a statement posted online, the Coventry-based promoter said it was "no longer viable for us to continue trading" because of "financial setbacks caused by the pandemic".

"It is with a heavy heart and deep regret that we must announce the cancellation of all of our scheduled events, and the end of operations for M&B Promotions Ltd and our ticket platform Simple Ticketing Ltd," the firm said.

"We have successfully delivered hundreds of events all over the country since 2019. With our final programme of events taking place in December 2021.

"We were among many high-profile event organisers forced to reschedule many events due to the pandemic. With vast amounts of finance already tied up with artist deposits, suppliers, venues and marketing this has put a huge financial strain on the company."

The promoter thanked customers, artists and venues for their support and advised ticket holders to contact their bank or payment company for a refund.

"To those who have been let down by this situation, we are deeply sorry," it said.