The important questions are, whether there was ever criminal intent, and whether the organisers ever personally pocketed and kept ticket money, despite a festival being cancelled.

The Law is there, rightfully, to protect innocent and vulnerable people from injury and loss. But there always needs to be a sense of proportion.

If the organisers of a cancelled festival are enthusiastic and well-meaning volunteers, giving their time for free just for the love of the music ... and if the only cash that ticket purchasers lost was the price of their tickets (sad though that obviously is) ... is anyone seriously going to suggest that those volunteer organisers should be financially ruined to recompense hundreds/thousands of ticket purchasers, if it all goes wrong?