Popular Manchester music festival rescheduled following 'major health concern'

A popular music festival held in Manchester city centre has been forced to be rescheduled following a 'major health concern'.

Manchester’s original international urban folk music and dance festival Góbéfest was due to take place next month. Since 2017, the event, which was due to take place this year at Cathedral Gardens, has been held to celebrate the culture and traditions of the Szekler people – a group of ethnic Hungarians living in Transylvania and Romania.

The festival, named after the 'crafty Székely' term of a Góbé, annually features artists, performers, dancers, musicians and creatives, with workshops, activities, panel discussions and live shows all forming the line-up.

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This year's June event has now been rescheduled after the festival manager became aware of a serious heart condition, and requires a prompt response to her diagnosis, according to organisers behind Góbéfest. In a statement to ticket holders, staff said the manager required 'a rapid coronary procedure'.

In a statement, the festival said: "It is with great regret that we have made the difficult decision to postpone our festival until later in the year. In the last few days our festival manager has become aware that she has a serious heart condition that requires a prompt response and a rapid coronary procedure.

"The timing and urgency of this issue will have a significant impact on our small team of brilliant freelancers and volunteers' ability to proceed as planned in June."

Organisers said it was decided 'that the best approach' would be to now postpone the event until September in order to have any further knock-on effect for the event.

As a result, Góbéfest 2024 will now take place from Friday, September 20 to Sunday, September 22. Anyone who has already purchased tickets is entitled to either a refund or the opportunity to hold them till later in the year. In addition, festival organisers said those who choose to keep hold of their tickets will receive a free drinks voucher as a thank you.

The event still promises to be a unique celebration of diverse music, dance, and food, only a few months later. Bosses said the Marta Sebestyen concert on Saturday 22 June 2024 at Hallé at St Michaels is not affected and is still set to go ahead.

Tickets for the rescheduled Góbéfest can be bought here. Children under the age of 12 can attend for free, whilst all entry on the Sunday of the festival will be free.