OTTAWA — Thousands of anxious ticket buyers are lining up for refunds now that Capital Hoedown founder Denis Benoit officially cancelled the festival on Monday.

In a news release, Benoit blamed “higher than expected costs from the city, upfront production expenditures and lower than anticipated ticket sales” for the cancellation. The festival was to take place Aug. 10-12.

But though this year’s installment of the country music festival showed great promise last fall, when Benoit announced a lineup that included Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley and Reba McEntire, the event has been a fiasco. Almost from the outset it has been plagued with production problems; organizers missed payment deadlines to the city, and the festival changed venues earlier this spring only to be told its newest location contravened zoning bylaws.

Now an estimated 15,000 ticket-buyers are hoping refunds are on their way. Benoit said more than two weeks ago that he and not the U.S. ticket agency that sold tickets on his behalf would be issuing refunds. But today he told ticket-holders to contact their credit card company.

“All ticket buyers will be able to receive a credit card refund ... there is no need to contact the ticket office,” said the news release. “If you do not see the refund on your statement within one-week, we ask that you contact your credit card company.”

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