20 festivals in the UK have been cancelled, postponed or taken a fallow year in 2026 so far according to the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF). This follows 43 closures in 2025 and 78 in 2024.
The latest to fall was Womad Glasgow, originally scheduled for the first week of July. A globally respected festival hosting annual events in Spain, Italy and New Zealand, this would have been the event’s first edition in Glasgow.
Organisers cited low ticket sales as the main cause of cancellation. Other rescinded festivals this year cited similarly tight budgets, as well as a struggle to book headline acts – as described by Electric Bay Festival, which had initial plans for a fifth anniversary event in Torquay.
Other festivals, including Black Isle Calling, Lochaber Live, and Show of Hands, alongside cancellation announced hopeful plans for 2027 returns.
On the slightly sunnier side of things, closures have come at the same time as a new initiative from the UK government offering a temporary reduced VAT rate for children’s tickets, meals and family attractions, which will include kid-friendly festivals under its umbrella.
AIF CEO John Rostron noted that there is no lack of strong audience interest in festivals, which he hopes will be ammunition enough for the UK government to take further measures to improve live music accessibility.
“It’s incredibly tough to see vibrant and creative music festivals fall. Mostly, we’re seeing very strong demand from audiences, and some record sellouts, but independent festival promoters are seeing their margins become ever thinner,” Rostron said.
To this end, AIF is calling on the UK government to extend its reduced VAT scheme to 2027, stipulate specific support for independent festivals via an upcoming £30m Creative Industries Sector Plan and Music Growth Package, as well as the introduction of a pilot program for grassroots music tax relief.
“We welcome The Great British Summer Saving initiative which will be helpful for family oriented festivals, but we need earlier commitment to the reduction for 2027, and specific, sector-wide support to stem cancellations and boost the growth of new events,” Rostron added.
We reported on the UK music scene earlier this year in our UK Country Profile – with similar findings on high appetite for live music, despite cost-of-living-related challenges. A study on the electronic music sector by NTIA additionally noted a situation of ‘domestic fragility’, despite global success in international streaming numbers.
