It's all about money really when you boil it down, I really do think it is too expensive. I think an over ambitious and therefore expensive programme causes a lot of these problems, and it's not just at Sidmouth this happens. Take Cambridge for example Ken Wollard was the entertainments officer for Cambridge council and he had a great deal of backing from them, this lead to his booking acts that no festival in those days could afford. This in turn generates a sort of competition between festivals for both punters and kudos, and leads to better money for performers, an increase in ticket costs,and the demise of some festivals. There are only three reasons for putting on a festival, 1 To make money; ha ha, 2 To promote your venue, 3 Love of the genre. None of these reasons on its own is sole justification for embarking on such a mammoth task without help, if that help was solely logistic and financial help didn't come into the equation, then a festival organiser would have to cut their coat to suit their cloth. Ergo financial backing gives bookers ideas above their station and will eventually lead to the festival costing too much to run. Just imagine what it would cost to run without the volunteers!
Remember Charles Dickens David Copperfield, Mr Micawber I think.

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery."

Giok