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Another UK Festival cancelled amid broader industry challenges
June9
Organisers of Somerset’s new Homestead Festival announced its cancellation today, making it the 39th UK festival to be called off in 2025. The number, reached just ahead of the year’s midpoint, is already half of the total festival cancellations recorded in 2024.
Last year marked a significant downturn for the UK festival industry, with 78 events cancelled—more than double the 36 cancellations seen in 2023. Since 2019, a total of 249 UK festivals have ceased operations, including 96 lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response, the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has renewed calls for the UK Government to introduce a Music Festival Tax Relief scheme. Modelled on existing creative sector support such as the Theatre Tax Relief and Orchestra Tax Relief, the proposal aims to assist festivals with capacities under 30,000 by offering relief on eligible spending related to creative and musical programming.
AIF CEO John Rostron described the Homestead Festival cancellation as reflective of ongoing difficulties facing the independent festival sector. “All the ingredients are there for a wonderful new festival, but the pressure on events is making it too difficult to get over the line,” he said. “A Music Festival Tax Relief would have given Homestead the space it needed to get the gates open.”
The AIF has submitted a formal proposal to the government and is encouraging other festivals to support the initiative in hopes of stabilising the sector and enabling both new and returning events.
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