Lincolnshire’s famous steam and vintage rally has become the latest county event to be cancelled – a massive blow to tourism and the local economy.
Glyn Macdonald, 75, who was the director of the event, announced they had to close after 38 years, citing rising costs and an aging committee as the main reasons behind the decision.
The event was due to be held in August 2024 at Lincolnshire Showground, and it would draw many visitors to the county.
“Your services, your amenities, things you have to pay for have all gone up”, he said. “But it’s jointly the fact the committee has got old.”
“I shall miss it”, he said. “On the Friday night and the Saturday night when the fair’s running and the beer tent’s busy… I shall miss that side of it. But not the hard work.”
After a boom in 2022, when events came back after COVID, Steam and Vintage Rallies around the UK have been closing their doors to the public either permanently or temporarily until costs re-stabilise.
The Dorset Steam Fair has also announced they will not return for the 2024 summer season.
There has been a steady decrease in the number of events being held across both Lincolnshire and the UK, including the closure of Lincoln Christmas market in 2022 and the Woodhall Spa 1940s Weekend, which many want to see return.
The local economy will also suffer, says Mr Macdonald.
“It’s not only going to be big shows that go,” he said. “The bureaucracy is going to finish a lot of small shows too”.