Some arts festivals could close amid ‘significant financial challenges’

Some British arts festivals are at risk of being “lost” as organisers struggle with rising costs and increased financial challenges, a report has said.

The Festivals Forward report surveyed 101 festivals such as the Edinburgh Fringe, BBC Proms, Cheltenham Festivals and Hay Festival.

Produced for the British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA) by arts and culture consultancy BOP Consulting, it found that many events have to rely on reserves to keep going.

The report said that on average last year, festivals had a spend of around £245,000 and an income of £225,000, meaning a gap of £20,000.

BAFA is calling for a review of funding to produce “more stability, ambition and sustainability in this key sector”, by moving away from annual grants.

Scottish writer Val McDermid, known for her books featuring Dr Anthony “Tony” Valentine Hill, who was played by Robson Green in ITV series Wire In The Blood, said “preserving our festival heritage and building on it is no frivolous matter”.

“We need the light that celebration gives us,” she also said. “The festivals that give us pleasure, food for thought and the opportunity to meet people who share our passions are often a beacon of light in an otherwise mundane existence.

A performance at the BBC Proms (Mark Allan/BBC). PA Media

“They’re often run by volunteers who devote untold hours to make sure things run smoothly for artists and audiences. Sponsorship is a huge help, of course, particularly in times of austerity, but it’s hard to find and hard to hold on to.”

The report concluded that “without additional support and investment – both fiscally and developmentally – the sector is at risk of both the reduction and loss of many iconic festivals, similar to the significant volume of green field festivals that have been lost during the last year”.

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) said 50 UK festivals were completely closed or were postponed or cancelled this year.

“Recognising the strategic role that festivals play in the UK arts ecology and in building stronger communities year-round will be the first step in creating a festivals policy that enables festivals to thrive,” the Festivals Forward report said.

A performance at the Edinburgh International Festival (Jane Barlow/PA). PA Media

About 30% of respondents in 2023 saw their reserves decrease by more than 10%, with more than half of these reporting a drop of more than 20%.

BAFA director Fiona Goh said: “Britain’s arts festivals are currently confronting a range of challenges but, as the report shows, they have much to build on.

“Festivals are powerhouses of creativity and catalysts for the imaginations of whole communities and we must harness this creativity to re-imagine their place in our lives.

“By re-thinking their place and building on their greatest strengths – their contribution to the wider arts ecology and their hyperlocal status – we can put them on a firmer footing and make sure they thrive, as well as survive.”

The report also said that 80% of festivals deliver year-round outreach and creative opportunities for schools, and 40% of audiences travel less than five miles to attend the events surveyed.