I think we are seeing the International Festival growing away from town centres and heading towards a Cropredy/Cambridge type of event. There is demand for this sort of event anyway (we already know that the younger folkies prefer that), so I suspect they will do well after any teething problems with the transfer (including the problems of cutting the umbilical from the "fringe").

Meanwhile, Sidmouth retains a smaller scale, "fringe"-oriented (with some booked acts) event, more suited to the town perhaps; and with many die-hard fans to seed it, it will also do well (I certainly wish it well).

I detect lots of undercurrents in the thread (and others similar), including bitterness at the departure of the International Festival, resistance to change, a wish to compare festivals and events and find one wanting, location "nationalism" etc. All bad reactions, if understandable.

Lets be grown up about it, and wish both events a long a prosperous future - and move on.