Christmas Market Cancelled: Locals Outraged Over Funding Cuts

The Boldmere Christmas Festival, a highly anticipated event near Birmingham, has been cancelled for 2025 due to a drastic reduction in local council funding. Boldmere Futures, the festival's organizer, announced the cancellation, stating that the Sutton Coldfield Town Council's grant was cut from £7,000 in the previous year to £3,000 for 2025. This significant shortfall made it impossible to cover the festival's operational costs.

This decision has deeply disappointed local traders and residents, with stallholders reporting substantial financial losses and missed publicity opportunities. One dessert business owner estimated losing around £1,000 in income, requiring multiple future events to recoup the deficit. The festival, which costs approximately £21,000 to stage, is a not-for-profit initiative aimed at benefiting the community and local high street.

Boldmere Futures is actively seeking new funding streams and aims to collaborate with the Sutton Coldfield Town Council to secure financial support for the festival's return in 2026. The council acknowledged the disappointment but stated that grant applications are assessed on merit and that Boldmere Futures had ultimately advised they would not proceed with the offered funding for this year, focusing instead on other projects before resuming the festival in 2026.