With festival season drawing to a close, we felt it was time we investigated a story that’s been on our minds all year: has the bubble burst?
In March, the Association of Independent Festivals released a report showing that 21 UK festivals had already been cancelled, postponed or closed in 2024. By the end of summer that number had risen to over 50, with the AIF speculating that it could clear 100 by the end of the year.
Compare that to 2023, when 36 festivals were pulled (not to mention 2022, when over 40 new festivals were launched) and the report paints a bleak picture. The AIF blames rising costs, which is doubtless a factor, but what else might be at play here? A small cluster of increasingly dominant companies contributing to an oversaturated festival landscape, perhaps? Or are festivals simply falling foul of the strategy they’ve employed for years: pushing up live fees to price out their competition?
More importantly, how many of these events are actually any good?
For positivity’s sake we also spend some time shouting out the festivals we loved this year. Turns out that with clever booking and some attention to detail, you can still put on events that offer an alternative to the homogeny. Plus: a moment for a fantasy festival lineup that actually happened.
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Further reading and listening:
UK nightclubs need financial help – and respect for their cultural importance (Finn McCorry, The Guardian)
The People Vs. Live Nation: or how I learned to stop chilling and hate monopolies (Money 4 Nothing podcast)
28: Why has the festival bubble burst?