The repercussions of the pandemic are still being felt almost four years on, and music festivals are falling victim to the economic difficulties it has caused.

According to the BBC, just this year, 42 festivals have announced their postponement or cancellation of the festival as they do not have the funds or budget to successfully put on the show that audiences are desiring. Much loved festivals such as Body and Soul, Towersey festival and Wild Roots are being forced to postpone their festivals, or cancel them indefinitely.

The organisers of Towersey festival, after sixty years of running a welcoming, adored festival, announced that due to “economic challenges”, this year’s festival will be their last, stating that “the pandemic wiped all our back up and changed the face of festivals across the industry”, leaving many excited locals in dismay that their annual favourite festival will not be returning for 2025.

The costs for putting on a festival have increased immensely, reflected through ticket prices rocketing, as Glastonbury festival have increased their ticket price by £75 within the past two years. Organiser of the Stendhal Festival in Northern Ireland, Ross Parkhill, told the BBC that “everything has gone up in recent years across the board, everything from insurance costs, artist fees to affording fuel for generators”, especially as around 25% of a festival budget immediately goes to artist fees, and sometimes, this does not include accommodation and travel, wiping a huge part of their budget alongside potentially impacting artists financially.

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) stated that this year, festival goers can expect 100 more festivals to be either postponed or cancelled indefinitely. John Rostron, AIF’s CEO, wants to “again sound the alarm to Government” as the nation is “witnessing the erosion of one of our most successful and unique cultural industry sectors”.