UK’s multi-billion-pound music festival industry faces ‘absolutely dire straits’ if 2021 summer season is cancelled, organisers warn MPs

• e-mail

Organisers at some of Britain's biggest festivals have warned the multi-billion-pound industry faces 'absolutely dire straits' if 2021 brings more cancellations due to Covid-19.

Organisers behind Manchester's Parklife festival and Boomtown Fair which takes place near Winchester today issued stark warnings to MPs about the future of live music events.

Sacha Lord, co-founder of Manchester's Parklife, told the Digital Culture, Media and Sport Committee that coronavirus had 'absolutely decimated' his festival, its suppliers and freelance staff. 

Yesterday Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis assured fans that this year's festival had not yet been called off. 

Glastonbury Festival organisers say this year's event has not been cancelled - as industry bosses warn MPs that the impact of another summer of cancellations will leave it in 'absolutely dire straits'

Sacha Lord, co-founder of Manchester's Parklife, warned: 'If we have got another year like 2020, we have got serious problems'

Anna Wade, communications and strategy director of Boomtown Fair, said both large and grassroots music events would be in 'absolutely dire straits' financially if restrictions remained by summer. 

The Covid-19 pandemic led to widespread cancellations during last year's festival season. 

With England entering a third national lockdown, there are concerns more cancellations could cripple the industry. 

Tweeting about this year's Glastonbury Festival, Ms Eavis said: 'There’s no news this end yet, we haven't cancelled. Will let you know right here as soon as we have an update.' 

Parklife has been delayed until September 2021 and more than 250 artists and suppliers have already been booked.

'If we have got another year like 2020, we have got serious problems,' Mr Lord said.

Ms Wade, whose festival had some 40 full-time employees before Covid-19, told MPs: 'In terms of Boomtown, it is a very similar story as it is for all festivals and events up and down the country.

'We were absolutely decimated as well. We were first to really shut down and will probably be one of the last to reopen as well.' 

Research published in 2019 estimated a quarter of UK adults attended a festival that year, with the industry was worth around £2.6billion.

And industry bodies including UK Music and the Help Musicians charity have touted festivals as an essential stepping stone for future stars in developing an audience.

Boomtown Festival said it was 'absolutely decimated,' by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as it looked to bolster support for returning this year

Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said she will update followers when there is more news on the future of this year's event 

Wade said there was 'no silver bullet' that would guarantee a 2021 festival season but called on the Government to set a date for its return and provide financial support including extended VAT holidays.

Lord said the UK risked falling behind Europe if action was not taken.

'Absolutely, and I think that was happening pre-Covid anyway,' he said.

'The likes of Portugal, Germany, Malta, Croatia - they were all coming on board.'

Some 4.9 million people attended a festival in the UK in 2018, with festivals estimated to have generated £1.76 billion in gross value added last year

Lord also warned that mass testing and vaccination was the only way forward.

He told MPs 'Social distancing does not work at any of these events. It's a festival. You just cannot put social distancing in place, so we are anticipating that we will be operating at 100%.'

The inquiry will also consider the potential impact of festivals collapsing on local communities, ticket holders and suppliers, as well as the freelance workforce.