Folk by the Sea is no more after festival organisers made the difficult decision due in part to Kiama Council's decision to not allow camping at recent iterations of the event.

Festival director Neil McCann wrote to Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald and Council CEO Jane Stroud to intorm them that the annual event will no longer be continuing after 13 years as a marquee option on the local events calendar.

In the letter, McCann said the decision was not an easy one, but it has become necessary, primarily due to the key challenge of attracting enough patrons from outside the area.

"Our committee believes that the patronage has declined significantly as a result of Council's decision not to allow camping over the past few Festivals.

"Before the last few years, low-priced camping was readily available around the showground and on Chapman Oval.

"When camping was prohibited by the Council, Festival patronage dropped significantly, as many avid festival goers see camping as an integral part of the folk festival experience."

McCann said the Illawarra Folk Club was also forced to purchase most of the available campsites at Surf Beach and Kendall's Beach Caravan parks, to provide camping for performers.

"This resulted in significant extra budget costs for the festival.

"It also meant that many festival patrons were unable to find nearby campsites as most had been booked out by the festival committee for performers."

He added that there were also problems with inadequate parking and sporting events.

"We were informed that the decision not to allow camping was made by the General Manager of Kiama Council.

"It was clear that the lack of camping was presenting a significant barrier for the viability of the festival.

"So, for the last three years we have approached Council, trying to overturn the decision re: camping.

"We know that the previous mayor advocated strongly on our behalf, but to no avail.

"Neighbouring festivals such as Bundanoon, Kangaroo Valley and Cobargo Folk Festivals all offer camping to their patrons. They have all seen an increase in patronage. We believe that our festival’s lack of viability is directly related to this issue."

McCann went on to say that it was disappointing that the decision around camping appears not to have been made by the elected council, nor with any discussion with the festival organisers as stakeholders.

"The decision has wide-ranging ramifications, not just for our Festival, but for other stakeholders who benefited from the large numbers of campers who accessed these campsites at other times in the year.

"In a personal capacity, as a ratepayer for over 40 years, and one who fought against the amalgamation of councils several years ago, I am greatly disillusioned by this apparent lack of democratic process, and the short-sightedness of the decision."

McCann said the festival over the past 13 years had brought 320 folk performers to the area and had provided locals and visitors with the opportunity to experience high-quality live folk music.

It is the second Kiama festival this week to be abandoned after the Changing Tides organisers called off their concert scheduled for 22 November and announced it would not be returning next year.

Kiama Council has issued a statement in response to McCann's claims, countering that contrary to his assertions, the Council-managed Crown Land Plan of Management was endorsed by the NSW Minister for Crown Lands on 4 April 2024 and by full Council on 21 May 2024.

The Plan of Management prohibits camping within the Kiama Showground precinct. Council staff must ensure it issues approvals in accordance with this Plan of Management and in line with the resolution of Council.

“We appreciate that in the current economic climate, it is increasingly difficult for festivals and event organisers to absorb rising costs, changing audience preferences, insurance and marketing requirements and so forth,” said Mayor Cameron McDonald.

“Kiama Council will continue to do all it can to support events through Destination Kiama, and our Community Grants programs and we thank the organisers of Folk by The Sea for running their event in years gone by."