The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) released the most recent information after announcing the closure of the Cheshire family festival, Geronimo. The reason given for the closure was that “a huge percentage of festivalgoers held off booking until the last week,” and this created an “unsustainable financial risk.”
The event’s organizers announced on social media that refunds would be given to ticket holders for this year’s festival, which was scheduled to take place from August 23 to August 26. “We hope you will cherish the memories of your time in our festival fields and wish everyone a wonderful summer,” they stated.
It follows News’ article about the “crisis” in the sector, in which numerous organizers who are already having difficulty recovering from the pandemic claim they are unable to continue due to growing expenses and shifting ticket-buying patterns.
Some festivals, including Nibley in Gloucestershire and Towersey in Buckinghamshire, have stated that this year’s events will be their last, and others have canceled or rescheduled.
According to the AIF, the 50 cancellations this year bring the total number of cancellations since the COVID pandemic began in 2019 to 182. “Pressures of unpredictable and rising costs” are expected to cause many more cancellations by the end of 2024.
