The Fair featured in the press today after featuring in ITV’s mini documentary about festivals.
The mini documentary, which came out in July, explores why – despite bringing in millions of pounds for the UK economy – many festivals are struggling to survive.
Access All Areas then shared news of ITV documentary. You can check out the article on the AAA website or below.
Live events production company The Fair and the Association of Independent Festivals have highlighted the myriad challenges faced by festival organisers in an ITV documentary.
The mini-documentary is focused on the impact issues such as rising production costs, reduced margins and unpredictable ticket buyer behaviour is having on the festival industry, particularly independent operators.
In total, there are 592 music festivals scheduled in the UK this year, a 34% fall from around 900 in 2019, according to the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF). The documentary emphasised the UK festival industry’s £8 billion contribution to the UK economy but many of those interviewed suggested a reduction of the VAT rate on festival tickets was needed to sustain that level of economic input.
All Party Parliamentary Group for Music chair Pete Wishart MP said, “The 20% VAT levied on [festivals] is far too high and is really crippling the whole sector.”
AIF CEO John Rostron said, “The single way you can fix things is to lower VAT on tickets, just temporarily for a few years..”
“If we start losing the independents that’s going to have a massive impact on the artists ecosystem,” said The Fair CEO Nick Morgan. “It has never been more important to protect it.”
The Fair senior festival production director Millie Devereux said, “Behind every festival is a year-round workforce, pouring in passion to create unforgettable experiences for attendees but the reality is many promoters and organisations are fighting to keep this magic alive.
“ITV’s mini documentary captures both the joy and the jeopardy of our industry. We need policymakers to recognise the challenges we face, and people who value festivals to continue highlighting their importance – for people, places, and communities.”
