The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has announced a new support package for UK indie festivals forced to take a fallow year.
The Fallow Festival Fund was launched today (5 February) at AIF’s flagship Festival Congress in Bristol, in partnership with the event’s headline sponsor Citizen Ticket.
It follows a brutal year for the UK sector, with a record 78 festivals announcing a postponement, cancellation or complete closure over the course of 2024 – more than double the amount of the preceding 12 months. Four festivals have been cancelled in 2025 so far, with three of those opting to take a fallow year in efforts to return in 2026.
“There will be more festivals out there who are close to making this call,” says AIF CEO John Rostron. “Being there alone trying to make your event work is tough. I know how much festivals value being a part of the AIF community, particularly when times are hard. It’s good to have people around you who can listen, understand and offer support.”
AIF is offering free one-year memberships to independent events currently outside its network, enabling them to access the trade body’s services and resources.
Financial donations to the Fallow Festival Fund will enable AIF to buy support from third parties to offer fallow festivals key services such as time on a legal helpline to review contracts, a financial health check to potentially bring about savings or improve cashflow, a production consultancy and a revenue review consultancy to improve or add income streams to their event. More services will be added to meet festivals’ particular needs in response to demand.
“Every contribution – small or big – will make a difference and I hope that as the year goes on some of those events in a fallow year will be supported by this fund and have the tools, techniques, innovations and confidence to give them the lift they need to return in 2026,” says Rostron.
An industry-wide call has also been made for further financial or service donations from festival suppliers and other organisations across the music business who are able to help.
Meanwhile, Citizen Ticket has pledged free use of its ticketing and bookings platform for festivals and events selling up to 2,000 tickets. Promoters running a larger event can sell their first 2,000 tickets free of charge.
“Every time a crisis hits we’ve done our best to support small and independent festivals in any way we can,” adds Citizen Ticket CPO Phil Hayes. “We’ve partnered with the AIF on Festival Congress five times and we wanted to take our partnership to the next level with this fundraiser. We are urging other suppliers who are able to offer something to please do so before more festivals are forced to cancel.”
Festivals interested in taking advantage of the fund and package of support are urged to register their interest here. Those who can offer services or discounted services to festivals on fallow years should contact AIF at info@aiforg.com
Separately, AIF has issued a rallying cry after calling for the UK’s Culture, Media & Sport select committee to begin a ‘State of Play’ inquiry into the future of UK festivals.
“We need the whole festival sector to get behind us,” adds Rostron. “The MPs on this committee have the power to lobby the government for the support we need. We believe a State of Play inquiry into festivals will demonstrate the desperate need for more support for independents. Through this submission to the CMS Committee, we can champion the changes needed for the survival of UK grassroots, independent festival culture.”