Growing number of UK music festivals announce cancellations

A growing number of music festivals located across the UK have been forced to postpone their event this year, while others have announced cancelling their event altogether, amid pressures relating to rising costs.

In the last week, Scotland’s Connect Festival and Leicestershire’s 110 Above Festival have joined a list of festivals forced to reschedule. Both festivals had previously announced line-ups for their 2024 edition and had begun selling tickets.

Organisers of 110 Above Festival said in an online statement that “the current economic climate means it would be reckless to plough on with such uncertainty and volatile costs – particularly for a fully independent festival like ours”.

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“We already had a feel for this in 2023 where conditions were challenging and the festival made a sizeable loss. This could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the amazing support from team members, contractors and supporters.”

Elsewhere, skating and music festival NASS says their 2024 edition will not go ahead due to “the cost-of-living crisis and the significant increase in operational costs”. Warrington’s Neighbourhood Weekender, Dumfries’ Doonhame Festival, Swansea’s Tunes of the Bay Festival, Lowdefest in Hazeley Bottom and Hayloft Live in Bold Heath have all also cancelled their respective events this year.

Standon Calling is another festival attributing their cancellation to rising costs. The festival said that “the painful truth is that ploughing on in this very challenging climate could risk the future of the festival” and added “the situation is not unique to us. So many festival teams work hard all year round to deliver unforgettable weekends of memories in the face of unprecedented financial challenges”.

Meanwhile, Cheshire-based Bluedot Festival announced a fallow year after their 2023 edition experienced torrential rain that forced them to cancel day tickets for the final day. They said the gap year will allow the site to “recover and regenerate”.

Gloucester’s Barn on the Farm also decided to push their next edition back to 2025: “As you know, the future of independent festivals is uncertain but my god do we need them for new music to survive,” the festival said.

And Hertfordshire’s Nozstock Hidden Valley has announced that 2024 will be their final incarnation after 26 years. The 5,000-capacity cited “soaring costs” and “financial risks” for the decision, after being forced to run last year’s edition at a loss.

This year’s cancellations build on a difficult year for UK festivals in 2023. According to the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), 36 festivals cancelled in 2023, with the number one reason cited as economic pressures between sales and costs.

While there is growing concern for the UK’s festival industry, some events are still thriving. On the other side of the scale, festivals such as Glastonbury and Green Man sold out before releasing their line-ups this year, the former within an hour. Elsewhere, Creamfields has sold all their tickets and festivals including End of the Road, Mighty Hoopla and Junction 2 have announced selling the majority of theirs thus far.

Calls for VAT action

Earlier this month, AIF launched a new campaign for a VAT reduction on festival tickets which it says would save many event promoters from closures this year.

The 5% For Festivals campaign is aiming to inform festival-goers about the problems that music festival promoters have faced over the last five years, encouraging them to contact their MPs to lobby for a much needed VAT reduction on tickets.

The association is calling on the government to support the festival sector through lowering VAT from 20% to 5% on ticket sales for the next three years.

The campaign has received backing from the British Arts Festivals Association, the Association of Festival Organisers and LIVE.

AIF CEO John Rostron says the UK’s festival sector is at “a critical point”, with festivals having to manage the effects of the Covid pandemic, Brexit, war in Ukraine, inflation and an energy crisis.

“UK festivals need time to recover and rebuild. They need help from our government,” he said.

“A reduction in VAT on festival tickets from 20% to 5% for three years is an evidence-based, simple, sensible remedy that would ease the financial burden on promoters enough for them to return to health. We need this action now.”