The £67,000 (£40,000+£27,000) quoted by Steve in Sidmouth sounds about right for marquees and set-up costs at the Arena. I certainly don't think you'd get all the necessary infrastructure for less than that. However, do remember that organisers also need to allow for a professional Safety Officer, security (now SIA-registered), paramedics and other site staff plus the £15m Public Liability insurance required by EDDC which will probably cost at least £5,000 on its own, maybe a lot more.

Then there's advertising and publicity costs, accommodation for artists, transport costs etc.

Then you have the costs of your artists.

Assuming you just booked The Wurzels, Show of Hands and The Battlefield Band for three nights in the arena, a rough estimate for the total cost of all the above (inc. artists) is around £120,000. Plus VAT and PRS fees (3% of income at present). Total gross cost in excess of £140,000.

Now let's look at income.

The best you can probably hope for at dance events is that ticket income covers artist costs and basic staffing / infrastructure. Most of your income will have to come from arena events.

If arena tickets were £15 per night, you would need to sell around 9,000 just to cover your costs (assuming you got a bit of income from the bar, food stalls and other concessions). That's 3,000 a night. Assuming no discounts for OAPs, children or anyone else.

If you think you can sell at least 3,000 tickets for The Wurzels, another 3,000 for Show of Hands, and another 3,000 for The Battlefield Band, then you have a chance of covering your costs.

But what if it rains one night?

Then you're back to the same situation that made Steve Heap decide he could no longer take the risk (and remember he had £60,000 from EDDC and other funding which will not be available to the organisers in 2005).

It's when you look at the figures in black and white that you have to question whether they add up.

I wish the people trying to keep something afloat in 2005 every success with whatever they decide to do.

In their own interests though, I hope they've done their sums.