The State of the UK’s Festival Scene

The UK’s festival scene is larger than ever before, with major festivals like Glastonbury, Latitude, and Reading and Leeds, as well as smaller festivals like BST Hyde Park and Boardmasters coming up behind them. However, just because your favourite artist always seems to be attending a festival or two, that’s not to say that the UK’s festivals aren’t seeing challenges and complications relating the way that they’ve always been run. Here’s a little guide that can give you an deeper insight into what’s happening to the UK’s treasured festivals.

What are the challenges?

Festivals are facing many problems that are making it harder and harder for them to return each year. Rising costs mean that many festival owners are struggling to make a profit. Especially so since many are still struggling from the disastrous impact of Covid-19, when many festivals had to be cancelled for a number of years due to social distancing rules. Not only this, but many smaller festivals find it hard to attract the interest of different artists, especially international artists, and to compete with the larger festivals. It can be hard to find a great location for a festival, and there are also environmental and noise concerns when it come to festivals, as well as worries about the waste they leave behind once the festival has come to a close.

Not only this, but rising ticket costs could potentially put music lovers off, especially as they tighten their purse strings due to worries about the rising cost of living. There have also been security and safety concerns, especially in terms of drug overdoses and crime. Although many festivals have put campaigns in place to see the end of these things, they can often give festivals a poor public image and reputation.

What are the positives?

However, many festivals are still making a large profit, and tickets are still highly sought after. This is especially true of Glastonbury, whose tickets sell out in minutes. Festivals also do a lot for charities. There are some festivals which are purely non-profit, and others which aim to make a lot of money for both local and national charities throughout the duration of the festival. This is important revenue for these charities and helps to raise their public profile. Additionally, they increase employment levels in certain areas and help local communities to grow. Many smaller festivals are also starting to appear and flourish, many of which focus on non-mainstream forms of music, such as folk and country, Some of these have an additional touch, such as doubling up as a food festival.

What’s the future of festivals?

The future of festivals is a mainly positive one. The cost of living may fluctuate but a love of music will always be around. Festivals are also starting to broaden their reach, becoming accessible spaces for young and old, and ensuring that there’s something for everyone and a festival that anyone can attend and enjoy. There are also many day festivals cropping up, such as BST Hyde Park, that non-campers can attend.

However, these days, people are starting to look for more luxurious ways to enjoy the festival of their choice. Rather than staying in tents and forgoing washing for several days, many people are starting to choose other options, such as glamping. Glamping allows people to relax in a yurt after a long day of dancing, sleep in a real bed, and even charge their phone and use a hairdryer. These yurts are often in a peaceful location for a good night’s sleep and some campgrounds even have their very own spa. If you’re heading to a festival in the near future, check out Yurtel to see the different accommodation they offer.

Not only this, but there’s also likely to be further introduction of technology at the festivals that you visit. For instance, they might use VR and AR to create immersive experiences, as well as software that can improve security and help to streamline the ticketing process. This is in addition to the new technologies that are starting to be developed for sound and lighting, which may help festivals to overcome the acoustic complaints that they regularly receive as outdoor venues.

Festivals are here to stay. While UK festivals are currently facing some challenges, and their owners might be concerned about issues such as revenue, profits, and their supply chain, there are also many positives that keep festivals moving along, from a great variety of acts, including up-and-coming artists, to social missions and an excited and enthusiastic public who are willing to spend their hand-earned cash on visiting their local festivals with their friends and families.