Association of Independent Festivals

Forecast Vol.07 New Shoots and Stories of Hope. Spring is finally here. As the sunshine returns and the days stretch a little longer (and we start looking to another season) we wanted to take a moment to share some positivity. In the latest Forecast, we’re bringing you a roundup of some exciting trends, new and reimagined events for 2025, and initiatives wanting to reshape the festival landscape in 2026. Over the winter months, our community has been hard at work, planting the seeds of new ideas and initiatives. We hope this non-exhaustive list gives you hope in a tough festival landscape. Independent festivals aren’t just surviving, they’re growing. Just like the new shoots we’re seeing everywhere. Check it out! #UKFestivals #Innovation #IndependentFestivals #SpringForward

Timely to share this as we are working with suppliers who have been in touch gifting support (thank you!) to add their offers to the scheme for fallow festivals who have applied for help. Festivals on a fallow year can request by completing the short EOI form on the campaign site. We pick up with the initial cohort of festivals next week once the expanded offer is firmed up and available. All help and ideas welcome, of make a small financial donation if you are able.

We'll be Event Production Show next week - Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th February. It's always a great couple of days - lots of our member festivals visit, plenty of suppliers come and say hello, and we meet new faces too. Come find us at stand H02E. https://lnkd.in/exVXgyP

We're proud to have launched the next phase of our fight for government support for independent festivals. It will take you just two minutes to push for a brighter festival future. Add your voice now by signing our State of Play open letter: https://lnkd.in/ea_MmyFR We only have until Wednesday 19th February. Many of you have already added your names and organisations, thank you. We are stronger together. Many independent festivals are struggling. Already this year, seven have cancelled, postponed, or shut down for good. We’re pushing the Government for action. Things have got to change. Check out our latest Forecast for the full story and add your voice now.

Calling all those who love festivals and are concerned about the huge number of closures in recent years - 96 during the pandemic, 36 in 2023, 78 in 2024 and 5 already cancelled, postponed or calling time in 2025. we're calling for a CMS Select Committee State of Play inquiry into festivals and we need as many independent festivals as possible to sign our open letter as part of our submisson. We have until February 19th. Sign the letter, share the assets, spread the word on the link below. https://lnkd.in/ea_MmyFR

It's FESTIVAL CONGRESS this week! We've landed in Bristol early, mostly because we're just so excited about all that's going to happen through Wednesday. Where to start? Selling out is a good place to begin - we increased the capacity and still hit the mark, with a strong waiting list of people in the wings. Amazing stuff! There's brilliance coming from Citizen Ticket, big demand to meet the team PRS for Music, festivals with legal questions for Azorra Limited and lots to learn on the rollercoaster of a panel from Tysers. Our friends Tixel are busy being creative - wait for what they are up to! We've got fresh talent coming from BIMM University in Bristol as well as from Big Team CIC. 19 speakers and breakout hosts and across the day, including Lloyd Major MSc, Zeina Raad, Kate Osler, Ben Tinkler, 👩🏻💻Hannah Cox, Clare Goodchild, Matthew Phillip and George Fleming amongst others. Oh, and if you're not already out of breath by some of the morning delights then NOQ will take you into lunch with a bounce too... Hold tight! https://lnkd.in/e9e_fPEY

"You can't be what you can't see". Festivals shut for two years during the pandemic, which meant several million young people did not get an opportunity to go to a music festival. It's impacted event courses, skills courses, and the festival (and wider events) sector and we're still feeling the impact of that two year gap today. But we're all doing lots to try and repair the damage. The most brilliant and direct thing, of course, is that festivals are back - and young people are heading to events for the first time, into these fields of wild creativity and thinking 'WOW, I WANT TO DO THIS!' There's nothing like the festivals themselves to inspire. We need to do more, and so we're delighted to have partnered with BIMM University Bristol and Big Team CIC to debut a new event on Thursday 6th February (the day following our Festival Congress in Bristol). It offers the chance for the festival sector to connect with young people from BIMM and BIG TEAM who are looking for their next roles in the festival sector. Many coming to Festival Congress have already extended their stay until the afternoon in order to register for this free brunch event, and we're delighted to see so much interest in supporting new opportunities young talent. Speaking of opportunities, we're also now seeking people who'd like to volunteer at Festival Congress. This year we've partnered with TeamKinetic to create a volunteering portal - just head to the link below to if you'd like to help out on the day. https://lnkd.in/dZse6scB

There’s no doubt about it, 2024 was a tumultuous for the UK’s independent festival industry. After a year of unprecedented highs and lows for the UK’s independent festival industry, the need for coming together has never been greater. It is within this tumultuous context that we look forward to our flagship gathering, Festival Congress 2025. We are returning bigger and stronger than ever with our most innovative program to date dedicated to supporting and empowering festival organisers. Taking place at the iconic Bristol Beacon on Wednesday 5th February 2025, this event promises to be a vital hub for collaboration, education, and innovation within the independent festival community. Read more about why festival congress matters, and register now. Be part of it. We'll see you there.

As we close out 2024, we’re ending the year with some uplifting and inspiring news. For the first time, the total ticketed capacity of AIF members has surpassed that of Live Nation’s Festival Republic. Check out the latest edition of Forecast and join us in celebrating the figures that independents are now over 1 million people strong.

Forecast Vol.03 For the Love of Welsh Festivals. Hot on the heels of our English Multi-Venue Development Fund, we’ve just launched The Welsh Music Festivals and Festival Freelancers Skills and Development Programme with support from Creative Wales. The aim of the new programme, which is entirely free to join and attend, is to boost the skills and knowledge of festival organisers and freelancers operating in Wales. If you focus all or part of your work within the festival industry in Wales, check out all the details on how to apply here. Also in this edition, 10 independent Welsh festivals you may or may not have heard of. Have we missed your favourite? Tell us about it.