The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has released a report revealing that 40 festivals in the UK have been cancelled this summer, some of which may never return. The AIF launched the Five Percent for Festivals campaign, which calls for a reduction in VAT on festivals from 20% to 5% to prevent festivals from being postponed, cancelled, or shutting down altogether. The AIF predicts that without government intervention, more festivals will cancel, postpone or make 2024 their last edition. AIF estimates that around 17% of festivals did not survive the pandemic, and over 170 have disappeared across the past five years.
The El Dorado Festival’s cancellation announcement marks the 40th festival to cancel this summer. Meanwhile, the Twisted Festival, a three-day camping festival near Leicester, announced its postponement until 2025. With various reasons cited, Riverside Festival, Standon Calling, and NASS festival have also been cancelled. Challenges such as low ticket sales, procurement issues, increased transport and artist costs have affected event organizers’ ability to hold festivals.
The AIF predicts that the trend of cancelled festivals will continue to escalate without government support, estimating more than 100 UK festivals disappearing by 2024. On the AIF’s Five Percent for Festivals website, a list of cancelled festivals can be found along with information on how to help the campaign. The Cost of Living Crisis editorial series investigated how soaring costs and changing consumer habits are afflicting the UK music scene. In 2020, 41% of event organisers said they wouldn’t be able to stage festivals in 2021 if government restrictions weren’t lifted, with up to 76% of organisations at risk of insolvency.
Patrick Hinton, Mixmag’s Editor & Digital Director, echoes the AIF’s call for government intervention and urges public commitments to attend events. Despite the increase in challenges for event organisers, Hinton highlights that “a healthy live events ecology of small, independent festivals is essential for the long-term growth, diversity and competitiveness of the British music industry.
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