Organisers of Barn On The Farm have announced that the festival has been postponed until 2025 as they continue to face “financial difficulties”. The independent festival was originally scheduled to take place at Over Farm in Gloucester from July 4-7 of this year. However, due to the ongoing financial impact of the pandemic, the organisers have made the difficult decision to take a break this year and focus entirely on “Barn 25” in 2025.
In a statement released on January 25, the organisers expressed their gratitude for the patience and understanding of their fans. They also added that they hoped to use this time to make their 2025 comeback “as sensational as it can be”. Tickets for Barn On The Farm 2025 will be available for purchase soon, with payment plans offered and full refunds available until the end of this year.
Following the postponement announcement, John Rostron, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), commented that the difficulties being faced by Barn On The Farm were characteristic of the state of independent festivals in the UK at present. He added that the unique challenges faced by festivals had left them in a precarious position and was a threat to their future sustainability. Rostron called upon the UK government to lower the VAT rate on ticket sales for the next three years to give festivals the space they needed to recover from the pandemic and continue to thrive.
Despite their financial troubles, the organisers of Barn On The Farm remain committed to the festival community and music industry at large. During the festival’s most recent iteration, they hosted standout performances from artists such as Gang Of Youths, Bleachers, Holly Humberstone, Sigrid, Sam Ryder, and Mahalia. Winning the Best Small Festival award recently, Barn On The Farm’s organiser Josh Sanger highlighted the importance of grassroots venues and small festivals as a pipeline for the next generation of musical artists.
The postponement of Barn On The Farm comes after Nozstock festival in Herefordshire announced that they would be ending their independent event after 26 years due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. Bluedot Festival, too, announced they would be taking a year off in 2024 to allow their site to “recover and regenerate” following last year’s heavy rain
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