Silas Rayner says Maui Festival’s crowdfunder has raised over £9,000. The campaign is nearly over, and he says that is still not enough to clear this year’s debts or give the festival a realistic chance of coming back.

This summer’s edition, held at Elveden Estate near Thetford from 28 to 30 August, had been billed as the 13th and final Maui. Rayner blamed rising costs and “endless official red tape”, and said the work of running it all year had turned the event into “a hard slog and a high risk”. He later said a return in 2028 was still possible if supporters helped pay off debts carried since the pandemic.

Writing to backers as the appeal runs out of time, he thanked people who had donated, shared stories and sent messages. “The support we’ve received over the past few weeks has meant more than I can properly put into words,” he said. “It’s been quite overwhelming, really.”

The thanks came with a blunt update. “We’ve still got a mountain to climb. We’re trying to clear the debts from this year’s festival so that Maui has a chance of returning in the future.” He said he did not want to keep asking, “but we’re running out of time, and I couldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t give this everything I’ve got.”

The Save Maui Waui Crowdfunder is meant to pay artists, performers and suppliers, not to make a profit. Rayner set a public target of £32,000, towards £47,000 owed, with the other £15,000 to come from selling his own assets. He has said hitting that target would buy a fallow year, and the chance to return in 2028 “with the energy, creativity and enthusiasm to put on one hell of a Maui.” More than £9,000 is a start. It is still a long way short.

A separate Maui for Life prize draw is also open. For £20, one winner gets a pair of tickets to every future Maui Waui event, which Rayner called “a lifetime of Maui adventures, if we’re lucky enough to bring them back.”

People who have already donated do not need to give again. “Perhaps you could share this with one friend who remembers Maui, or someone who might love what we’re trying to save,” he wrote.

Maui started in 2013 in a farmer’s field at Theberton, Suffolk, as a small electro swing weekend. It grew into a family friendly party of bands, circus, cabaret, comedy and Electric Hamster Racing, with free entry for children aged 13 and under. Years near Dereham included a soaked but well received 2024 edition and a busy 10th anniversary weekend, before the move to Elveden. Rayner signed off hoping this is not the end. “Whatever happens, I’ll always be grateful for the wonderful community that’s grown around this festival.”