Hopes that the UK festival sector has turned the corner on a tumultuous 2024 are rising, with the rate of cancellations having dropped significantly.

A record 78 festivals announced a postponement, cancellation or complete closure last year – more than double the amount that fell in 2023. The total had surpassed 40 by mid-May 2024, but currently stands at around 15 as of April 2025.

“It’s a lot lower than where we were at this time last year,” Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) boss John Rostron tells IQ. “And of those, nine are actually on fallow years and have said they intend to come back next year so that’s a high percentage. Although that’s still bad, it gives us some comfort because these people are suggesting that – with some changes – they’ll come back. They feel like they’re still saveable.”

While the figures offer reason for encouragement, Rostron points out that in the region of 250 festivals have disappeared since 2019.

“They’ve gone and haven’t been replaced, and that’s a big loss,” he says. “I won’t be happy until I see more growth. I’m excited there are new festivals and startups this year, which we haven’t had since the pandemic. That’s really nice. I want to see more of those new events coming in to continue to bring vibrancy, creativity and the differences that we want to see in the sector.”

“Independent festivals double down on community and the creative offer”

He continues: “If I look more generally at independent festivals, they double down on community and the creative offer. Most of the tickets are sold before they announce who’s playing. People just want to go to Shambala, or Deer Shed, or End of the Road, or Truck, or whatever it is. They’re not really looking at the lineup – that comes after. So if you were going to advise anyone on what to do, that would be the thing to focus on.”

Casualties so far this year include Cambridge Folk Festival, Africa Oyé, Roadhouse Festival, Wilkswood Reggae Festival, Let’s Rock Exeter, Medicine Festival, Yaxley Festival, Monmouth Rising, Global Rhythm Festival, Holt Festival, St Neots Festival and Adderbury Party In The Park.

Last year’s losses included El Dorado, Pennfest, Connect Music Festival, 110 Above Festival, NASS Festival, Leopollooza, Long Division, Bluedot and Barn On The Farm.

“In theory, a lot of the festivals that were going to go have gone,” contends Rostron. “If they couldn’t operate in 20/21/22, then lost money in 23/24, that was the end of the line.

“If you imagine a festival was like a car, before Covid it was driving along down the road full of petrol, with loads of fuel in the backseat so that if they ran out, they didn’t need to stop. Then Covid came and they couldn’t fill up. And then they came out of Covid and there were no petrol stations. There were high costs and there wasn’t the opportunity to get the fuel – in this case, money – back into the businesses. So some of those cars have just stopped on the road and are lost.

“If you set up your festival in 2019, how were you going to get through Covid? If you’d been running for eight or nine years prior to the pandemic you probably had some money and access to a history that enabled you to get loans and Covid recovery grants, because you had something they all knew felt like a solid entity. So those festivals were lucky in some ways that they had a bit more leverage to be able to get through. Some others were just unlucky – they opened their festival at a time when they were running on fumes.”

“You should have a payment plan. If you’re not doing that then you’re stuck in the past”

Meanwhile, the AIF has partnered with UK ticketing platform Skiddle to produce the Skiddle Festival Report, which was released this week and analyses key trends, insights and behaviours from the 2024 season.

The report highlights the growing demand for flexible payment options, with over 1.8 million festival tickets sold via Skiddle in 2024 and a 48% increase in split payment usage. Separately, Billboard reported that around 60% of general admission tickets for this year’s Coachella were bought using the festival’s payment plan.

Rostron says offering flexibility of payment options is a necessity for festivals in this day and age.

“Payment plans used to be in three or four instalments and now they’re probably 10, 11 or even 12,” he says. “It’s absolutely been a huge shift driven initially by the cost-of-living crisis, and it just makes sense. With most things in life: your council tax, your direct debit, your Netflix account, you don’t pay them in one go, you pay them every month. So why would you buy your ticket to a festival all in one go?

“Pay a little bit every month and it just goes out of your account and you don’t notice it – and you get to go to a festival at the end of it. You should have a payment plan. If you’re not doing that then you’re stuck in the past.”

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A fresh wave of new festivals have been confirmed around the globe as the 2025 international schedule continues to expand.

Electronic music record label and event series Afterlife has announced two Afterlife Festivals across North America and Europe, taking place in Mexico and Spain.

Each day of the two-stage event – set for Hipódromo de las Américas, Mexico City (9-10 May) and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (13-14 June) – will be curated by Anyma and MRAK, respectively, and focus on “the essence of Afterlife’s music, artists and community”.

Also in the electronic music sphere, Stufish Entertainment Architects have been unveiled as the stage designers for the inaugural Adriatic Sound Festival, which is set to take place at Fano Airport, Italy, from 13-14 June. Acts will include Sven Väth and Armand Van Helden and Stephan Bodzin.

Saudi-based promoter MDLBeast has also revealed another addition to its portfolio in the form of 1001 Nights. Scheduled for 24-25 April, the festival will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Billed as “a festival like no other, where music and stories come together, journey through a realm of grooves, rhythm and our tales reimagined”, the gathering will be open from 4pm to 4am. Lineup details are yet to be announced.

“We’re creating an unprecedented experience for Asian music fans”

Elsewhere, global experiential entertainment company Allied Gaming & Entertainment (AGAE) has announced the launch of RythmX x Strawberry Music Festival in partnership with Beijing Modern Sky Cultural Development Co. and Macau Elite Fun Entertainment. Billed as a “first-of-its-kind co-branded music festival”, it will take place in October at Macau’s new 50,000-capacity outdoor music venue.

The three-day event will feature an exclusive pre-night concert followed by two full days of performances from international and Asian artists.

“This festival is a major step in expanding AGAE’s entertainment footprint,” says AGAE CEO Yinghua Chen. “By bringing together our RythmX brand with Modern Sky’s 16-year well-established Strawberry Music Festival, and hosting it in Macau’s largest outdoor venue, we’re creating an unprecedented experience for Asian music fans. Our goal is to establish this as a must-attend annual festival that draws music lovers from across the region.”

And in the UK, longstanding festival venue Chai Wallahs is bidding to bolster the struggling independent music sector with the launch of Grassroots Rising from 18-21 June 2026.

The event will invite independent festivals, venues and promoters to create a collaborative event over one weekend, cutting costs while enabling audiences to discover new artists. The “pioneering” new model will offer audiences a voice in shaping lineups when they buy membership via a crowdfunder.

“We believe this idea is a solution for our whole industry”

“We believe this idea is a solution for our whole industry,” says Chai Wallahs creative director Si Chai. “By joining together as a ‘Community Benefit Society’ we can massively reduce our independent running costs and bring down ticket prices to a more affordable level. It’s an alternative model that won’t cost partners anything, but will allow them to generate an income and keep their audiences warm and content.

“Grassroots Rising not only offers a solution to the financial challenges the industry faces but, as a celebration of strictly ‘independent music and grassroots culture’, will also address the imbalances between commercially supported and non-supported artists.”

Secret Garden Party (SGP) landowner Freddie Fellowes will host the event at the SGP site in Abbots Ripton Estate, Huntingdon.

“Having made a stand last year, with our last Secret Garden Party, about the importance of grassroots support and the worries about multinational companies’ influence on the live music scene, I am thrilled to be working with Chai Wallahs on this all important event to highlight the rich wonders that the now overlooked grassroots music scene holds,” says Fellowes.

Venues across the UK have already signed up to run a stage at the festival, which has also been endorsed by the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), Save Our Scene and the Music Venue Trust (MVT).

“It’s an important opportunity to bring together independent musicians, venues, promoters, bookers, festivals, and the whole ecosystem in which grassroots culture exists,” says MVT chief Mark Davyd. “It’s this kind of initiative that will foster multiple platforms for emerging artists to perform but also provide great spaces for some of the country’s best loved grassroots venues to present the breadth and depth of their programming.”

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The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has announced a new support package for UK indie festivals forced to take a fallow year.

The Fallow Festival Fund was launched today (5 February) at AIF’s flagship Festival Congress in Bristol, in partnership with the event’s headline sponsor Citizen Ticket.

It follows a brutal year for the UK sector, with a record 78 festivals announcing a postponement, cancellation or complete closure over the course of 2024 – more than double the amount of the preceding 12 months. Four festivals have been cancelled in 2025 so far, with three of those opting to take a fallow year in efforts to return in 2026.

“There will be more festivals out there who are close to making this call,” says AIF CEO John Rostron. “Being there alone trying to make your event work is tough. I know how much festivals value being a part of the AIF community, particularly when times are hard. It’s good to have people around you who can listen, understand and offer support.”

AIF is offering free one-year memberships to independent events currently outside its network, enabling them to access the trade body’s services and resources.

Financial donations to the Fallow Festival Fund will enable AIF to buy support from third parties to offer fallow festivals key services such as time on a legal helpline to review contracts, a financial health check to potentially bring about savings or improve cashflow, a production consultancy and a revenue review consultancy to improve or add income streams to their event. More services will be added to meet festivals’ particular needs in response to demand.

“Every contribution – small or big – will make a difference and I hope that as the year goes on some of those events in a fallow year will be supported by this fund and have the tools, techniques, innovations and confidence to give them the lift they need to return in 2026,” says Rostron.

“We believe a State of Play inquiry into festivals will demonstrate the desperate need for more support for independents”

An industry-wide call has also been made for further financial or service donations from festival suppliers and other organisations across the music business who are able to help.

Meanwhile, Citizen Ticket has pledged free use of its ticketing and bookings platform for festivals and events selling up to 2,000 tickets. Promoters running a larger event can sell their first 2,000 tickets free of charge.

“Every time a crisis hits we’ve done our best to support small and independent festivals in any way we can,” adds Citizen Ticket CPO Phil Hayes. “We’ve partnered with the AIF on Festival Congress five times and we wanted to take our partnership to the next level with this fundraiser. We are urging other suppliers who are able to offer something to please do so before more festivals are forced to cancel.”

Festivals interested in taking advantage of the fund and package of support are urged to register their interest here. Those who can offer services or discounted services to festivals on fallow years should contact AIF at info@aiforg.com

Separately, AIF has issued a rallying cry after calling for the UK’s Culture, Media & Sport select committee to begin a ‘State of Play’ inquiry into the future of UK festivals.

“We need the whole festival sector to get behind us,” adds Rostron. “The MPs on this committee have the power to lobby the government for the support we need. We believe a State of Play inquiry into festivals will demonstrate the desperate need for more support for independents. Through this submission to the CMS Committee, we can champion the changes needed for the survival of UK grassroots, independent festival culture.”

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Bloodstock Open Air director Adam Gregory has saluted the record sellout of weekend tickets for next year’s event.

The UK’s largest independent heavy metal festival, which first took place in 2001, returns to Catton Park in Walton-on-Trent, Derbyshire, from 7-10 August, with a bill topped by Trivium, Machine Head and Gojira.

Other acts at the 20,000-cap event will include Emperor, Mastodon, Orange Goblin, Lacuna Coil, Fear Factory, Lord of the Lost, The Black Dahlia Murder and Creeper. Standard tickets cost £199 (€241), and early bird tickets sold out in just 36 hours.

“We’ve sold out in just nine weeks, which is record time,” Gregory tells IQ. “It took us all by surprise. It’s a lovely surprise – it was by no means expected and we’re grateful that we’re in a strong position moving into ’25.

“The fans tend to be very much about supporting the festival rather than just particular bands, but we have a particularly strong lineup for 2025.”

Bloodstock’s 2024 edition featured bands including Opeth, Architects and Amon Amarth.

“Bloodstock has always been a special place for Motörhead and for Lemmy”

“As ever, it came with its challenges but nothing that was unexpected,” says Gregory. “We sold out the festival again, albeit on the Saturday this year rather than in advance. But ultimately, it was a good year for us.”

This year’s metal gathering was also notable for its memorial to Motörhead legend Lemmy Kilmister by arrangement with the band’s management.

Some of Lemmy’s ashes were housed at Bloodstock – one of only a few places globally – in a unique urn, with the festival commissioning a bust of Lemmy to incorporate the ashes. The bust was delivered to Nottingham’s Rock City by convoy of 55 Harley Davidson bikers at the end of the 2024 festival, but it will return to Bloodstock each August.

“Bloodstock has always been a special place for Motörhead and for Lemmy,” said Motörhead’s manager, Todd Singerman at the time. “The people and the energy matched Lemmy’s values perfectly.”

Meanwhile, Bloodstock has launched its annual Metal 2 The Masses (M2TM) scheme, which offers spots on its lineup for self-released and unsigned bands. Thirty regions will take place across the UK, with Cyprus and potentially Poland also signing up for the initiative.

After a series of heats, one winner from each region will guarantee themselves a slot on the New Blood stage for 2025.

“Some bands will come back in subsequent years and be elevated through higher stages”

“We run a competition from around January through to early June. About 750 bands tend to partake each year,” explains Gregory. “The whole point behind it is to promote new artists and support small, local venues as well. They’ll run heats for three or four months, culminating in a final taking place at each venue around May and June, at which point we go along and judge.

“The winners of those finals then go and perform at the festival on a dedicated indoor stage called the New Blood Stage, and we award a few of those bands guitars and other bits and bobs to help them progress to the next level.

“Some of those bands will come back in subsequent years and be elevated through higher stages and be given that foot up that isn’t normally afforded to them.”

Gregory was also interviewed for IQ‘s investigation into the widespread cancellations of UK festivals in 2024, which asked whether  the sector can rebound in 2025.

“I would hope that we don’t see another catastrophic year like we’ve had this year,” he said. “It’s been painful. For the industry itself, it’s terrible, it’s the last thing anybody wants. So I would hope that we don’t see those sort of constraints and issues that we’ve had in 2024, reappear in ’25.

“I’d like to see a lot more events go ahead, but I think the government needs to support that as well, and start talking with the likes of the AIF and LIVE.”

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DHP Family’s Splendour Festival is set to return in 2025 after a new five-year contract was agreed with Nottingham City Council.

The 25,000-cap UK event’s 2024 edition was axed due to delays over tendering, but the authority is expected to rubber-stamp a deal covering 2025-29 at next week’s commissioning and procurement executive committee.

The two-day festival in Wollaton Park was last held in 2023, when it was headlined by Madness and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

“This is a popular attraction as part of Nottingham’s annual events and entertainment programme and has created positive recognition, economic and social benefit for the city,” says the authority. “This would be lost or put at risk if these were discontinued. The cancellation of the event in 2024 has already seen a detrimental reputational impact on the city alongside a loss of income to the council.”

The council document lists the total value of the decision as £11.8 million (€13.9m), based on estimated turnover over the five years. The authority staged the annual festival jointly with Nottingham-headquartered promoter and venue operator DHP since 2007, but a formal competitive tendering process was initiated following the expiration of the most recent agreement two years ago.

“We understand the council, as owners of the Wollaton site, wanting to check that they are getting value for money for city residents from our deal”

“Revised terms between the council and DHP were agreed within a heads of terms agreement that covered the period from 2018-22,” it notes. “This approach reflected the wider changes in the council’s risk appetite and approach to staging events to reduce financial risks and begin the move towards a cost neutral, commercial income events model. This approach also sought to align our commercial terms for Splendour with other events of a similar nature staged within the city.

“Some of the changes at this time were also reflected in the wider UK festival industry. Instead of very large annual mega-festivals such as V Festival or T in the Park, most cities were now hosting some form of local/regional music festival; hence there was little or no rationale for the council to continue to financially support a festival, that was being entirely delivered by the commercial sector in other cities.

“Subsequently this event was identified as a concession and under the council’s procurement policy and best value duty required a formal tendering process to be undertaken which commenced in 2023.”

According to the Nottingham Post, DHP has declined to comment at this stage, but said in a previous statement: “We understand the council, as owners of the Wollaton site, wanting to check that they are getting value for money for city residents from our deal.

“We are confident that’s what we offer already, and that’s what we can offer in the future. We have ambitious plans to make Splendour an even more popular and successful event.”

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Secret Garden Party (SGP) has announced it has signed up to independent collective Chai Wallahs’ Drop a Headliner campaign to focus on nurturing grassroots acts for its 2024 edition.

The UK festival, scheduled for Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, from 25-28 July, is foregoing big-name headliners in favour of allocating resources to supporting rising acts.

The move represents a call to action to save the indie scene, with 34 major events having already declared a postponement, cancellation or complete closure this year, and the Music Venues Trust reports that 16% of UK grassroots music venues have been lost in the last 12 months.

This year’s SGP lineup features more than 350 artists including Unkle, Crystal Fighters, Chinchilla, Franky Wah, Carly Wilford, Adelphi Music Factory, Jakkob, Omega Nebula, Technobrass and TC & The Groove. Chai Wallahs, The Living Room and Noiganica will also host dedicated venues to diverse, grassroots live music, while Save Our Scene, Parable Music, Dubtendo and Truth Tribe will provide stage takeovers.

“We believe in being a breeding ground for talent to grow,” says founder Freddie Fellowes. “Why allocate a massive budget to one or two headliners when it could fuel another 50 outstanding acts? This year’s focus is on providing grassroots artists the ability to shine, whilst actively redefining festival experiences for the future.”

“For the grassroots scene to survive and thrive, this talent needs platforms and opportunities to be able to develop, so we must address the disparity”

Launched in 2004, the 32,000-cap event has previously hosted performances by the likes of Lily Allen, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Florence & The Machine, The XX and Regina Spektor.

“Having been ardent supporters of the grassroots scene for over 20 years, we were chuffed when Secret Garden Party agreed to be the first independent festival to collaborate with us on the ‘Drop a Headliner’ campaign,” says Chai Wallahs’ founder Si Chai. “There is so much more enjoyment to be had in the discovery of new music, and please trust me when I say that there is a massive world of undiscovered talent. For the grassroots scene to survive and thrive, this talent needs platforms and opportunities to be able to develop, so we must address the disparity.”

The campaign notes that with headliners at that level commanding up to £150,000, SGP is taking the opportunity to re-allocate the figure to finance around 222 individual acts.

“This staggering number would create a marked upsurge in independent music and become a building block for its sustained growth,” it says.

Chai continues: “This campaign highlights not only the opportunities for programmers to be more creative with their million pound budgets, but also presents a chance to support a whole ecosystem of artists. It provides greater enjoyment to open minded music lovers, and a healthy alternative to playing the big name game.”

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The promoter of the UK’s Standon Calling has apologised after a number of acts and caterers complained they are still owed thousands of pounds from last year’s event.

The long-running independent festival most recently took place in Hertfordshire in July 2023, featuring acts such as Years & Years, Self Esteem, Bloc Party, The Human League, Rick Astley, Melanie C and KT Tunstall.

But some performers, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC they were owed amounts ranging from £150 (€176) to £12,000 (€14,000), while a food vendor claimed they were owed £13,000. Quizmasters and comedians have also come forward to say they have yet to be paid for their services.

Standon Calling director Alex Trenchard insists the matter is being dealt with.

“We apologise for the delay to a small number of payments from our 2023 festival,” says Trenchard. “We are in the process of fulfilling these and contacting any remaining performers and suppliers.

“We constantly review all aspects of the event so we can be sure to deliver the top-class experience our loyal audience deserves.”

“The time has come to try to find a balance between being big in some areas… and small and intimate in others but in a way that is affordable”

A compulsory strike-off notice for Standon Calling Limited was posted on Companies House on 5 September last year, but was discontinued four days later.

The BBC reports that Trenchard discussed the 10,000-cap festival’s rising costs in a public Facebook group, and raised the prospect of reducing the size of future editions.

“The time has come to try to find a balance between being big in some areas (main stage) and small and intimate in others but in a way that is affordable,” he posted. “It may [mean] some sacrifices and scaling back but we have to protect the future viability of the festival.”

Tickets are on sale now for Standon Calling 2024, priced £189. The lineup for the event, which is scheduled for 25-28 July, is yet to be announced.

Last week, UK trade body the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) launched a new campaign for a VAT reduction on festival tickets.

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

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EXIT boss Dušan Kovačević has shared the pros and cons of remaining independent in 2023 – and reflected on the festival’s new spin-off event in Montenegro.

Serbia’s best known festival, the 50,000-cap spectacular pulled in 200,000 punters to the Petrovaradin Fortress in Serbia over four days in July to see acts such as The Prodigy, Wu-Tang Clan, Skrillex, Eric Prydz, Alesso, Chase & Status, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Nina Kraviz. Its next edition is scheduled for 11-14 July 2024.

EXIT starred in IQ‘s recent feature on ten of Europe’s brightest independent festivals, and Kovačević speaks of the struggles of continuing to go it alone.

“The biggest challenge of remaining independent in 2023 is the increasing costs in the festival industry,” he tells IQ. “Corporate-backed festivals often have substantial financial resources, more marketing power, and established connections that allow them to gain needed funding more easily in the moments of crisis.

“We cannot forget the pandemic’s impact on the industry, and a great shift it made when it comes to consumer expectations. We are often required to adapt rapidly to high demands whilst facing financial challenges that we inherited from the pandemic period.”

“Independence allows us to think and grow beyond the financial reports”

Kovačević adds that rising costs such as artist fees, security measures, and logistical expenses, are a further strain on resources.

“Without the backing of major sponsors or investors, it can be challenging to maintain a sustainable business model and deliver a high-quality experience while keeping ticket prices fair,” he adds.

Nevertheless, Kovačević suggests the hard work is well worth to enable organisers to stay true to spirit of the event.

“Independence allows us to think and grow beyond the financial reports. Excel sheets are not the ultimate God of the festival, creativity and artistic expression is,” he says. “This way we get to cultivate the spirit of the festival that made it so magical in the first place. Freedom is undoubtedly the biggest benefit. We take a lot of pride in retaining artistic freedom.

“One of the most important things to us is growing and nurturing the soul of the festival. Even though we face a lot of competition in the region and the world, remaining independent allows us the freedom to express our vision, provide unforgettable experiences, be a part of the positive change in our community, and society as a whole without having to worry about short-term financial influxes that would limit us significantly.”

EXIT events in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, UAE, Netherlands, Turkey, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Slovenia were visited by around half a million people in 2022, making it the largest number in the festival’s history.

“Ada Divine Awakening holds a unique place within our rich festival and event portfolio, as it authentically transforms and uplifts people’s lives”

While it was announced in June that EXIT’s Sea Dance spin-off would be leaving Montenegro, the team debuted the Ada Divine Awakening in the country last month on the island of Ada Bojana. Billed as offering “a powerful festival experience that combines life-force awakening retreat, educational workshops, incredible music & art, mindfulness and much more”, artists included Mose, Murray Kyle, Joseph Pepe Danza, Mushina and Tebra.

With a dedicated emphasis on ecology and environmental conservation, Ada Divine Awakening forged a partnership with the “Every Can Counts” project. In addition, organisers, attendees and volunteers came together to collect nearly two tons of waste from almost a kilometre of untamed beach in collaboration with the City of Ulcinj, Ulcinj Riviera, and DOO Komunalne djelatnosti – Ulcinj, along with the Remedies 20t Challenge initiative.

The intimate 500-cap gathering attracted attendees from more than 40 countries and will return from 13-18 September next year. Kovačević reveals plans are already afoot to expand the concept overseas.

“Ada Divine Awakening holds a unique place within our rich festival and event portfolio, as it authentically transforms and uplifts people’s lives,” says Kovačević. “It quickly grew into one of the leading consciousness and intimacy festivals in the world and we will be partnering with like-minded promoters to cast ADA magic through numerous spin-offs worldwide.”

Meanwhile, EXIT’s talent and management agency Echosystem, which was established earlier this year, recently announced that one of its clients, 17-year-old electronic music artist LANNA, has signed to CAA and will be represented by agent Maria May.

“I am very excited to take over supporting LANNA’s career,” says May. “As a strong proponent of supporting young female artists, I believe LANNA has the potential to reach the stars very fast.”

The full list of ten of the best indie gatherings appears in Issue 122 of IQ Magazine.

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IQ 122, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite magazine, is available to read online now.

The September edition charts Stephan Thanscheidt’s journey from playing in punk bands to the CEO of FKP Scorpio, and analyses the lineups of 50 top European festivals, in collaboration with ROSTR.

Meanwhile, Mark Beaumont visits Sziget as the event celebrates 30 years and Adam Woods gives us the low down on the lowlands for this issue’s Netherlands market focus.

Elsewhere James Hanley shines a light on ten of Europe’s brightest indie festivals and finds out what makes them so special and, IQ reveals the Green Guardians 2023, our annual guide to the eco-warriors and innovators striving to make our venues and events more sustainable.

Plus, leading production managers weigh in while we profile several innovations new for the 2023 season.

For this edition’s columns and comments, Shain Shapiro discusses how we should be leading the change when it comes to supporting our local venues, and Michael Kümmerle explains how TikTok wants to expand promoters’ horizons.

As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.

However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ from just £8 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

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The UK’s Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has set up an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for independent festivals.

The APPG says it will look at the unique value independent festivals bring, as well as the pressures that they face. It will include conversations with the suppliers who work with the festival sector, plus the landowners who support festivals across the UK.

During its first year, the APPG will reflect on the challenges faced by the sector in 2023, and look into prevalent topics including environmental impacts and solutions, women’s safety, crime and drug use, and touring visas for musicians.

“It’s been a very busy summer this year and I’ve met with a number of MPs as I’ve visited festivals across the UK,” says John Rostron, CEO, AIF.

“Whether they are attending and supporting festivals in their constituency, speaking at events, or enjoying festivals for fun, we’ve had some great conversations about the importance and vibrancy of the independent festival sector, as well as the challenges that festivals are currently facing. The Festivals APPG will enable us to carry these conversations into Westminster and enable dialogue between MPs and festivals all year round.”

“The APPG will enable us to carry conversations into Westminster and enable dialogue between MPs and festivals”

The initial APPG members include chair Giles Watling MP (Conservative) and vice chairs Kevin Brennan MP (Labour), Alex Davies Jones MP (Labour), Pete Wishart MP (SNP), Rt Hon Damian Green MP (Conservative), Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP (Conservative), and Mark Fletcher MP (Conservative).

Watling adds: “I am delighted and honoured to be elected as chairman of the APPG for Festivals. Globally, Britain leads the way in celebrating humanity through festivals, as people come together to enjoy their passions. This APPG will be open to any and all forms of festival, from rock and pop to classical to literary. There are wellness festivals, food festivals, and so many more – it will be a privilege to represent all of them and highlight their importance to Britain’s cultural offer.”

Secretariat services will be provided by political consultancy Pepper Shackleton Wellard (PSW), which will organise the APPG events, and co-ordinate with supporters and officers.

AIF is also in conversation with the British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA), the leading network and development agency for UK arts festivals and AFO (Association of Festival Organisers) to support the APPG.

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