According to the AIF (Association of Independent Festivals), the number of festivals cancelled, postponed, or shut down in 2024 has now risen to 72. This is double the number that met the same fate in 2023. The losses in the past two years combined with those lost during the Covid-19 pandemic means the UK has now lost 204 festivals since 2019.
Earlier this year AIF announced a campaign called Five Percent For Festivals , which should the government grant it, would temporarily reduce the VAT on festival tickets from 20% to 5% to alleviate some of the strain on the budget and profits of festivals across the UK. The government have yet to agree to this, though they recently announced investments in Liverpool and the West Midlands as they were deemed creative hubs. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has been involved with these investments and has commented on them – but the Autumn budget failed to discuss the issues the UK nightclub scene and grassroots venues continue to face.
The CEO of AIF, John Rostron has said: “This has been a devastating period for the UK’s festival organisers. Ours is a highly important sector that offers opportunities to artists, audiences, and develops creative skills and volunteering opportunities across all of the UK. The festival sector generates significant revenue in and around local economies as well as to the Treasury every year… We have campaigned tirelessly for targeted, temporary government intervention which, evidence shows, would have saved most of the independent events that have fallen in 2024. It is sad to see that this erosion has been allowed to continue under this government. We have great events, with great demand, and we’re doing all we can. They need to step up, and step up now.”
UK music sector contributed £7.6 billion to the economy last year, yet the government continues to let grassroots venues and independent festivals suffer the consequences of the economic and financial climate. Earlier this year Readipop was cancelled, with other festivals added to the list including: Nozstock Hidden Valley (held for the last time in 2024) despite running 26 years, Bluedot (taking a year off), Pennfest (cancelled for 2024), Tenterden Folk Festival (shut down) which has run for 31 years.
Longstanding festivals such as these, and even newer less stable ones, are going to continue to cancel, postpone or shut down completely should the government not deal with the issue at hand. Associations such as AIF and UK Music continually release figures and suggest some solutions to alleviate the problem. If festival numbers continue to deplete it could be detrimental, even if the investments the government make are beneficial for those looking to get the training and start they need to work in the music career. What awaits after training is not promising if the grassroots and independent festivals continue to suffer the way they have this year.
