An inaugural New Year's Eve celebration at the Chatham Capitol Theatre has been cancelled due to a lack of ticket sales.
Organizer Chris Glassford had started raising money for Chatham-Kent's Rockin' New Year's Eve in November with the intention of bringing in live music, a silent auction, and a ball drop to the theatre.
However, the Chatham BIA announced the cancellation over Twitter on Thursday.
Heather Slater, manager of the Chatham Capitol Theatre, confirmed that low ticket sales were the reason behind cancelling the event, which is less than two weeks away.CK's Rock n New Years Eve at the Capitol Theatre has been cancelled due to unforseen circumstances. Anyone who has purchased tickets will get a phone call for remimbursement.
— Chatham BIA (@ChathamBia) December 19, 2019
Glassford sent an emailed statement in response to the public announcement.
"The promoter and the theatre decided after much deliberation that the ticket sales were too low and potentially could affect the success of the event," he said. "Organizers are hoping to regroup and make the event stronger for next year."
Although ticket holders will be reimbursed, organizers are losing out.
Glassford said cancelling the event has cost approximately $1,500 in non-refundable company money.