The European Festival Report (EFR) 2024, a packed annual summary of the biggest trends, happenings, and initiatives on the continent’s festival scene, was published in December.

In this excerpt from this indispensable guide, Black Deer Festival founder Gill Tee discusses how the festival scene is evolving and expanding, changes in audience expectations, and how financial pressures are impacting the sector. Black Deer Festival will not take place this year, but it is hoped the event will return in 2026.

How was the festival season for you?
It’s been an interesting journey. This year’s festival had some personal challenges for me, as I let go of my active role as festival director and handed the production of Black Deer to an external agency. It was an emotional experience, because I’ve been so deeply involved since the festival’s inception.

Walking onto the site and seeing things differently organised, like “my child dressed in the wrong clothes,” was tough. But ultimately, I was free to enjoy the festival and chat to our community, which was a unique experience. The event still carried the DNA of Black Deer, with amazing artists, a great community vibe, and a warm reception from attendees.

Tell us about the new one-day shows and Black Deer Radio.
Working alongside our MD, Chris Russell-Fish, Black Deer Radio and the one-day shows have been my big focus and part of our commitment to build Black Deer as more than just a festival – it’s a brand with year-round engagement.

Black Deer Radio has already attracted about 5,500 listeners a month since it launched in June, and it gives grassroots Americana artists a platform alongside legends like Neil Young and Sheryl Crow.

We are currently hosting our one-day shows (45 in total) in grassroots venues across the UK, which supports local music scenes and provides exposure for emerging artists. This approach allows us to reach new audiences while still promoting the genre that Black Deer represents, with plans to expand capacities next year.

“It’s no longer just about the music and drinking as much as possible — they’re looking for a wider experience”

What challenges does the festival industry face, and how are you aiming to address them?
The financial aspect is the biggest challenge for independent festivals. While Black Deer’s been running for years, with high production values, it’s yet to break even, and without steady investment, it’s hard for any independent festival to thrive. Funding is crucial – not just from sponsorships but from people who genuinely want to support the industry’s growth. Black Deer has been fortunate to retain passionate investors who see our long-term vision and have supported us even through financial losses and challenges like the Covid-19 lockdowns.

We continue to expand the brand’s year-round activities to maintain momentum and stay relevant.

What trends do you think we will see play out in the next few years at festivals?
I’m noticing that younger audiences have a more mature approach to festivals; it’s no longer just about the music and drinking as much as possible. They’re looking for a wider experience. There’s a need for festivals to incorporate more activities that appeal to this mindset. I believe we’ll see more festivals providing diverse, alcohol-free options, and broader entertainment outside of music.

Additionally, the financial pressures of large-scale festivals might lead to more one-day events and smaller, more affordable options that families can enjoy without the high cost of multiday festivals – certainly something we are looking at.

“Our mission has always been to foster a sense of community, particularly around Americana and country music”

Can you share the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) measures you have in place at the festival to ensure it’s a welcoming place for everyone?
Inclusivity is a key part of Black Deer’s ethos. Our SupaJam Stage has been part of Black Deer since year one, is very personal to me, and is one way we embrace diversity.

It’s organised with neurodiverse students from three SupaJam colleges, who come from diverse backgrounds and have overcome significant personal challenges. These students gain hands-on experience in all aspects of production, and it’s become part of their curriculum. Black Deer strives to be welcoming for everyone, and we’re committed to creating more opportunities for young people who may not have access to traditional avenues in the industry.

What role do festivals play in the cultural landscape?
Festivals like Black Deer are cultural touchstones. They offer a shared space for people to come together around music, heritage, and a sense of belonging. Our mission has always been to foster a sense of community, particularly around Americana and country music, which isn’t always as visible in the mainstream. Festivals allow people to explore different genres, meet like-minded folks, and experience art in an immersive way. They’re critical to nurturing emerging artists and keeping these cultural traditions alive for new generations.

The third edition of the European Festival Report, from IQ and festival association Yourope, is available to read online for free.

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Organisers of the UK’s Black Deer Festival have cancelled next year’s edition due to the challenging landscape – but have vowed to return in 2026.

The team behind the Americana-themed independent event, which has been held in Elridge Park, Kent, since 2018, blame both financial and operational issues, highlighting “unpredictable” ticket sales and rising production costs over the past couple of years.

“Regretfully, due to the widely reported pressures on the festival industry, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone Black Deer Festival 2025,” says Black Deer Group MD Chris Russell-Fish. “This is not a decision we’ve made lightly. We have explored all avenues to try to make it work next summer, but right now it just isn’t feasible.”

The 2024 event was headlined by Joe Bonamassa, Sheryl Crow and Rufus Wainwright, and also featured the likes of Seasick Steve, The Shires, Damian Lewis, Ward Thomas and Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal.

The Black Deer brand also expanded this year with the launch of the Black Deer Live gig series, which showcased Americana music at UK grassroots venues, as well as radio station Black Deer Radio.

“Whilst our three-day annual festival has brought Americana to many, we wanted to be able to bring Black Deer to even wider audiences around the UK – all year round,” adds Russell-Fish. “Through our new channels and our collective determination to do many more Black Deer Live Events in 2025, we are tremendously excited and looking forward to welcoming our current community and new fans to the genre, as we roll-out our other activities.”

“This is certainly not the end of the Black Deer story”

More than 40 Black Deer Live shows are already scheduled for the coming months, with more dates still to be announced, and other new ideas also in the pipeline including the Black Deer Radio Roadshow.

“This is certainly not the end of the Black Deer story,” adds co-founder Gill Tee. “We are so proud to have built one of the most wonderful festival communities over the past years – a community with a passion and love for Americana that matched ours.

“We are so very proud of all we have achieved to this point, it’s been a real journey and it’s not over yet.”

Meanwhile, Norwich’s Sundown Festival has also announced it will not be returning in 2025. The festival has run for 12 years, welcoming acts such as Shawn Mendes, Zara Larsson, Dizzee Rascal and Jason Derulo, and also held a spin-off event in Malta over three days this June. Promoters are yet to give a reason for the cancellation.

“It’s been an unforgettable journey,” reads a statement on the festival’s website. “After careful consideration however, we regret to announce that Sundown will not be returning to Norwich or Malta in 2025.”

The Association of Independent Festivals revealed this week that 72 UK festivals have announced a postponement, cancellation or complete closure in 2024 – double the amount that fell in 2023.

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Festival bosses have identified economic uncertainty, homogenisation and difficulty booking talent as the likely factors behind Britain’s slow festival season, as the UK festival business braces for a quieter-than-normal summer.

At a time of year when most summer events expect to be approaching capacity, of the major May–June festivals only Glastonbury Festival and Manchester’s Parklife have sold out – with tickets still available for heavy hitters like All Points East (24 May–2 June), Field Day (7–8 June), Isle of Wight Festival (13–16 June) and Download (14–16 June).

A number of events are also appearing on discount sites such as Groupon, while several festivals are currently advertising two-for-one ticket offers on social platforms.

While the majority of festival professionals quizzed by IQ say their 2019 ticket sales are softer than previous years, opinions are divided as to why, and the broader implications for the UK’s mature festival market.

“We’re OK – we’re probably going to end up 10 to 15% on last year, which is where we wanted to be,” says Oliver Jones, who – alongside his wife, Kate Webster – runs Yorkshire’s Deer Shed Festival (11,500-cap.), which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary. “But there are plenty of events on our radar who aren’t doing so well.”

Jones says the festivals “that are selling out, and will continue to, are independent, and the owners really care about the experience. Look at Green Man, for example – they put hospitality right at the top of the things their festival should offer, and look after people.”

“There does seem to be a general slowdown on ticket sales”

Another festival boss laments that too many events share a booker, with the result that festival line-ups are becoming increasingly samey. “You can make a Venn diagram,” they say, “with a handful of bands. One festival will have Elbow and Doves and Franz Ferdinand, another will have Doves and Franz Ferdinand but no Elbow, and so on… Too many festivals now are just homogenised.”

Gill Tee, co-founder with Debs Shelling of Kent’s Black Deer Festival, says the Americana event, now in its second year, is “going great guns”: “Fortunately for us we are currently on track, and do not seem to be too affected by the challenges other festivals are experiencing this year.”

“With [her] supplier head on”, as co-founder and director of Entertee Hire, Tee says “there does seem to be a general slowdown on ticket sales. I have heard many opinions as to the reasons why, but in reality nobody really knows. There have been years in the past that have shown a general slowdown on the appetite for attending festivals, which has then lifted the year after.”

Conversely, for Paul Reed, CEO of the 65-strong Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), while some members are “a bit slower than usual”, the 2019 season is largely “a mixed bag, as always”.

“I’m not seeing any dramatic changes, but there might be a cloud of Brexit uncertainty affecting people’s buying habits,” Reed explains. “And, as always, festivals are at the mercy of who’s out and touring – ultimately, line-ups are dictated by who’s available.”

Tee largely attributes 2019’s slowdown to “the amount of choice [in festivals] people now have, and they probably just buy later because they can.”

“It’s mad to spend all your budget on one or two bands, when no act is liked by everyone”

Meanwhile, Reed notes that, with artist fees still spiralling, many of AIF’s members have given up on the headliner “arms race” altogether, with several events having “stepped out of playing that game completely”.

That’s true of Deer Shed, adds Jones, who says he’s “not prepared to play that game with headliners anymore”. Topping the family friendly festival’s line-up for its tenth year are Ezra Furman, Anna Calvi and Australian indie-rockers Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, with money that would have gone on booking a single huge musical headliner instead invested in hospitality, facilities and comedians such as Reginald D. Hunter, Milton Jones and Nina Conti.

Outside the big corporate events, the UK festivals that succeed in future – even in slow years – are the focused, niche events with a strong identity and loyal fanbase, suggests one industry insider.

“Look at 5,000-or-so-capacity festivals like [experimental rock event] ArcTanGent or [Herefordshire music and arts festival] Nozstock,” they say. “Nozstock in particular is doing really well now. I think the penny has dropped that it’s not all about the headliners, and if you go to these kind of events you feel valued and you’re going to have a unique experience.”

“It’s mad to spend all your budget on one or two bands, when no act is liked by everyone,” they conclude. “So you’ve got to adapt. Of course, you can have a great festival if you’re prepared to lose a million pounds – but most of us don’t have that luxury.”

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