City Stages, the annual music festival held in Downtown Birmingham, announced today they are closing their doors for good. Festival organizers released a one-page press release saying City Stages is “irretrievably insolvent” and unable to continue operating. Earlier, City Stages founder and president George McMillan announced ticket sales for last weekend’s festival reached an all-time low.

Quick facts:

- City Stages celebrated it’s 21st year in 2009.
- At it’s height, City Stages attracted over 100,000 fans for each of the three festival nights.
- Record attendance was set at the 2004 festival.
- The festival announced over $550,000 of debt leading into last weekend’s event.
- The Birmingham City Council approved an additional $250,000 “bailout” for the festival last week Tuesday.

Will you miss City Stages? Let us know in the comments - and be sure to catch more information on this story in the July 7th issue of Kaleidoscope.

Ed. - The Kaleidoscope is on a biweekly publishing schedule throughout the end of summer.