I miss the arena shows and the international teams, and agree that without them sidmouth has lost some of its special magic, but let's be realistic.
The reason that sidmouth was unique in these features is because no other organisers have had the nerve, or should that be foolhardiness, to mount something similar.
Before the collapse of the communist countries many of the foreign teams were heavily subsidised by their governments. Now they have to be paid for. The Arena infrastructure was a huge expense, and in wet weather lost money hand over fist.
The present organisers have done a marvellous job to keep the folk week going, having gambled their own money on the Bedford concerts, the Lastminute ceilidhs, the Ham etc. It might not be the old festival with its special magic, but it has given a lot of people a lot of pleasure.
Could the people complaining that sidmouth is now just another standard festival please make constructive suggestions about how a return of the arena could be financed.