The Association Of Independent Festivals has again called for government support for the festivals sector. Though it has changed its key demand, now seeking a tax relief scheme similar to those already available to theatres and orchestras.
The renewed call for government support came yesterday as yet another independent festival - a new event in Somerset called Homestead - announced it is unable to go ahead. That means 39 festivals have cancelled this year, on top of the 78 events that were not able to go ahead in 2024.
“The cancellation of Homestead is indicative of the challenges facing the independent festival sector right now”, says AIF CEO John Rostron.
“All the ingredients are there for a wonderful new festival”, he adds, “but the pressure on events is making it too difficult to get over the line”. As a result, “instead of welcoming 2000 people to this new festival, we have yet another cancellation to add to the list”.
According to AIF, “Combining the fallen festivals of 2023, 2024 and 2025 with the 96 events lost to COVID, the total number of UK festivals to have disappeared since 2019 is now 249”.
The trade group has been campaigning for more government support for independent festivals for years and even more so since the COVID lockdowns. Until recently its headline demand was a cut on the VAT charged on festival tickets, similar to the temporary VAT cut on tickets that was introduced during the pandemic.
However, the government has repeatedly rejected calls for VAT cuts on tickets, for festivals and for cultural events more generally.
Which is possibly why AIF has shifted its big ask, now suggesting a new tax relief scheme similar to those already available in some other strands of the cultural industries. This one would benefit festivals with a capacity under 30,000.
The trade body says its new proposals are based on “other creative tax reliefs, such as the highly successful Theatre Tax Relief and Orchestra Tax Reliefs”. Under the new scheme, smaller festivals would get “tax relief on eligible expenditure towards the creative and music elements that make up micro and small events”.
Rostron adds, “A music festival tax relief would have given Homestead the space it needed to get the gates open. Only government intervention here will give promoters the opportunity to kickstart new events like this, mitigate closures, and help the many festivals on fallow years return”.
AIF has now submitted its proposals to the government, Rostron says, adding “we urge festivals to join us to help their voices be heard”.