UK independent festival sector will become a 'wasteland' in 2021 without government support, leading trade body warns

Called off: The AIF expects 90 per cent of music festivals to be cancelled this summer
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Jochan Embley13 May 2020

The UK’s independent music festival sector could become a “wasteland” in 2021 unless the government takes action to save it, according to a leading festival trade organisation.

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) — which counts Boomtown, Field Day, Boardmasters, Tramlines and others among its members — said 98.5 per cent of its events are not covered by insurance for cancellation related to Covid-19.

It comes after a string of postponements in the UK festival scene, with Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds and Download among the most high-profile events forced into abandonment amid the pandemic.

With the potential cost of refunds expected to cost the UK festival sector up to £800m this summer, 92 per cent of AIF members said they are at risk of folding without government intervention.

Independent festivals are also facing redundancies of 59 per cent on average, according to AIF.

As it stands, none of AIF’s member festivals have been able to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme, set out by the government to provide financial support to smaller businesses during the pandemic.

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AIF CEO Paul Reed said: “This is not a temporary shutdown of business – it is an entire year of income and trade wiped out.

“If support is not offered throughout the autumn, then the sector will face widespread job losses that will seriously inhibit its ability to deliver events in 2021.”

Reed added: “UK festivals are not only an intrinsic, defining part of British culture but also an economic powerhouse that generates hundreds of millions for the economy – we urge the government to recognise them as such.”

AIF laid out a number of recommendations in order to save the sector, including a continuation of the government’s furlough and self-employment schemes, as well as business support packages, “until the festival industry can get to planning and sales stages of 2021 events”.

It also called on the government to “issue clear guidance and timelines” on when festivals will be able to organise large gatherings, as well as what social distancing measures will be expected of them.

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