In the organizer's words:

LONG LIVE THE SOM ?

YES! BUT...

THE GOOD NEWS FIRST:

THE SOM IS STILL ALIVE. WE WILL MEET AGAIN IN GIESSEN IN 2026. AND YET WE CAN'T GO ON AS BEFORE.

YES, IT HAS BEEN VERY QUIET HERE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. AND IT HAD TO BE. THE SOM 25 HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL ON US. AS NICE AS THE 3 DAYS IN JUNE WERE AGAIN, AFTER THAT WE WERE GAME OVER. PHYSICALLY AND ABOVE ALL MENTALLY.

AS YOU'VE PROBABLY NOTICED, IT WAS A VERY NASTY YEAR FINANCIALLY FOR THE SOM. SO NASTY THAT IT ALSO LOST A LOT OF ITS LIGHTNESS AND CONFIDENCE. THE SOM WASN'T SOLD OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVERAL YEARS. TO EXPLAIN, WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH FINANCIAL DETAIL:

EVERY TIME WE START SELLING TICKETS, THERE ARE LIABILITIES IN THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF A DETACHED HOUSE IN A PRIME HILLSIDE LOCATION. AND IF "ONLY" 85% OF THE TICKETS ARE SOLD INSTEAD OF 100%, THEN A HIGH FIVE-FIGURE AMOUNT IS MISSING FROM THE
FIVE-DIGIT AMOUNT IN THE COFFERS.

FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS FOR YOUR DONATIONS, SYMPATHY AND COMPASSION THAT HAVE REACHED US. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO A VERY, VERY GREAT EXTENT FOR THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET OURSELVES TOGETHER HERE AT ALL. AND WE KNOW THAT MANY OTHER FESTIVALS ARE EVEN WORSE OFF. IN ANY CASE, ONE THING IS CERTAIN: WE NEED TO TAKE A BREATH FOR OURSELVES, OUR FAMILIES AND EVERYONE AROUND US AND REORGANIZE THINGS. IT TAKES TIME AND THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T JUST CARRY ON AS BEFORE.

BUT IT HAS ALSO BECOME SO IMPORTANT TO US, AND HOPEFULLY TO YOU TOO, THAT WE CAN'T BRING OURSELVES TO GIVE UP NOW. SOMEHOW WE ALSO DON'T SEE WHY IT SHOULD BE OVER FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT SOM IS A WONDERFUL THING AT ITS CORE. EY AND MAYBE IT WAS JUST THAT DARN 7TH YEAR THAT GAVE US A BUMP AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE AGAIN.

LONG STORY SHORT: THE JELLYFISH WILL STILL BE HANGING IN THE WATER NEXT YEAR. JUST IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
HOW? WHEN? WHERE? WE'LL REVEAL THAT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

JUST THIS MUCH CAN BE SAID: EVERYTHING WE LOVE ABOUT SOM WILL STAY! EVERYTHING THAT GIVES US BAD VIBES AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS HAS TO GO! WE ALSO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL COME BACK AND CARRY THE SOM THROUGH A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME.

ALL FOR THE JELLYFISH. ONLY LOVE FOR YOU.
WARMEST TENTACLE HUGS,
YOUR SOM TEAM