Well, I hate to say it, but 2024 is looking to be the festival apocalypse with dozens of outright cancellations and loads of other festivals running for their final year.
Pressed by a combination of endlessly rising costs, poorer punters, the cumulative costs of missing 2020, and the ever-present shortage of sites, the industry has been struggling this year.
Casualties so far have included Anthropos, which was one of our favourite small festivals, featuring beautiful downtempo psy in some incredible woods, Bluedot, a mind-engaging event set in the grounds of Jodrell Bank Observatory, and NASS, a skating and music festival located in Shepton Mallet.
Many veteran events are also in their last years- after 20 events Nozstock in Herefordshire will be holding its final edition on 18 – 21 July while Shigdig in Somerset, and Illusive in the midlands will also be running their final events. Other festivals are currently touch and go – Lovejam, the well-known sober festival still needs to sell a bunch more tickets before they can confirm their 2024 event.
Now Nozstock, Shindig and Illusive aren’t little tiddlers of events, in fact, they’re massive institutions of the indie scene. Hell, some of them are widely reputed to be some of the best parties in the country. If they can’t hack it, I’m worried no one can.
No one, that is, except for the events industry giants.
Big companies like LiveNation are eating more and more of the market. Their well-known lowest common denominator events continue to grow and even thrive. But make no mistake, these aren’t festivals, not really.
Commercial events are better seen as the shambling hollowed-out corpses of a true festival, piloted by the hand of the technocapital singularity. Where a good festival offers freedom, they demand control, where you would see genuine grassroots bands, you get an industry plant, when you buy delicious, reasonably priced locally brewed beer, you get £8 tins of Carlsberg.
My worry is that if small events all die out, the best of our music scene will die with it. This concern is widely shared. The Association of Independent Festivals has grave concerns, saying more than 100 events are at risk and called for a reduction in VAT on festival tickets to help support the industry. This was supported by Maui Waui Festival’s key organiser Silas Rayner, who said reducing the VAT on festival tickets during the pandemic was the “best thing the government ever did”.
Frank Turner, a popular punk musician said that UK grassroots music venues, including festivals, are ” effectively an R&D department, allowing new talent to develop and find an audience, which can then go on to greater things”. Outspoken on the topic of venues, he added “They also provide a place for a whole ecosystem of less ambitious – but no less artistically valid – forms of artistic expression to thrive.”
To see what our music scene would look like without the grassroots if this festival apocalypse is allowed to happen, you need only look to the X-factor, and manufactured acts from China, Korea and Japan. With a lack of opportunity for grassroots artists to set themselves a foundation, the music scene would be dominated by record label manufacturbands.
We shouldn’t be without hope though. While festivals across the country are closing down, new ones are popping up to take their place. In its first year this year, The Rising features a stellar punk lineup, featuring up-and-comers Bob Vylan, as well as legends The Dub Pistols, while other new festivals look like they will be amazing too.
I think we party people need to be like weeds in a field or the heads of a hydra. Whenever one of us is chopped down, a dozen more should grow in its place. But for that to happen, we need to buy more tickets.
Now, I know times are tough, and money is tight. Hell, extremely tight. But if you can, please buy a ticket to your favourite independent event. They desperately need the help right now. Hundreds of people’s lives are built around these events, and even a little really can help.
Add as a preferred source