Pollstar (05/23/24) Gottfried, Gideon

So far, a total of 40 U.K.-based festivals have been canceled in 2024 primarily due to the dramatic rise in costs across the board. The current cost of living across Europe has especially impacted the independent festival sector, where maintaining an affordable ticket price is typically part of each event's philosophy. Additional research is showing that there are other reasons why these festivals are having a hard time. One big one is a changed audience. An entire generation missed out on their first festival experience because of the lockdowns imposed during the pandemic. Pollstar interviewed John Rostron, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), to talk about this struggle. He remarked, "Concert promoters are dealing with supply chain increases across all areas of production, transport, and artist costs. But they have some comfort that they are working in fixed venues and infrastructure, which mitigates many of the other rising costs that comes from building – and then removing – a temporary site." The interview then went on to explore ways independent festivals can increase their margins without hiking their ticket prices or losing too much talent. According to Rostron, "Festivals always have way more on offer than people can see, and they often over-deliver. So, the customer doesn’t notice any difference, but it’s interesting how hard the independents find it to do this. They are creative people who really want to go above and beyond."

Read the full story from Pollstar.