UK Music’s Wish You Were Here & Measuring Music Reports
26 Sep 2016In June, UK Music released their 2016 Wish You Were Here Report based on statistics and attendance figures from 2015. 3.7 million people attended a festival last year and East England has the most ‘music tourists’ making up its live audiences. UK Music also recently released their ‘Measuring Music’ report which shows that the live industry generated £904 million for…
AIF Legal Helpline
26 Sep 2016AIF has just announced a new partnership with law firm Lewis Silkin. This new initiative will provide AIF members with a dedicated legal helpline service to seek advice and guidance on the vast range of issues they face when planning, organising and delivering festivals. The line will be operated by members of Lewis Silkin’s specialist Media & Entertainment focus group and…
Shambala Goes Meat-Free
26 Sep 2016Last year Shambala was the first UK festival to accept bit coins as a form of payment and this year they’ve snatched another UK first. They were the first UK festival to go 100% meat-free to show festivalgoers how what we eat affects the environment and ignite a debate on the topic. The brave and forward thinking decision was largely met…
Mast Drugs Testing Piloted At Festivals
26 Sep 2016Secret Garden Party became the first UK festival to trial drugs testing onsite this year. Around 200 patrons ended up using the multi agency safety testing (MAST) facility which was ‘brokered in agreement with the local police and council’. Professor Fiona Measham (Director of The Loop) was instrumental to it’s implementation and success. Festivalgoers were offered the tests as part of a 10-minute…
Festival Congress – Core Programme Announced
05 Sep 2016The Charlatans lead singer Tim Burgess and speakers from Secret Garden Party, Bluedot, The Eden Sessions and more join AIF flagship event in Cardiff. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), the London based trade association that represents UK festival organisers, has announced the core programme and additional speakers for Festival Congress 2016, which will take place in Cardiff for the…
Larmer Tree Festival Taking A Year Off in 2017
01 Sep 2016Larmer Tree Festival have just announced that they will be taking a year off in 2017 after hosting a successful 26th festival this year. “After a truly amazing 26th festival, which we were all incredibly proud of, we have made the very difficult decision that we and the festival need to take a year off in 2017 to fully refresh…
Sound City Opens Artist Applications For Zandari Festival & MU:CON In South Korea
18 Jul 2016Sound City are offering UK artists the chance to travel to South Korea and perform at two of the region’s leading events, and are delighted to announce that applications are now open for artists to apply to showcase at Zandari Festival (30th September – 3rd October) and MU:CON (6th – 8th October). Zandari Festival and its conference focuses on the…
AIF & Secret Garden Party Joint Statement On Sexual Assaults At Festivals Issue
11 Jul 2016AIF & Secret Garden Party joint statement on sexual assaults at festivals issue. Paul Reed, General Manager, Association of Independent Festivals (AIF): “As a trade association representing the interests of over 60 festival organisers in the UK with a collective audience of over 600, 000 people, we wish to respond and provide some clarity regarding recent articles in the…
AIF Statement In Response to Brexit
08 Jul 2016Following the referendum decision to leave the European Union, AIF would like to reassure our members that we will continue to represent the best interests of the UK independent festival sector and will be working hard in the coming months with our members and the wider industry to fully understand the ramifications. The festival market has developed as a truly…
Over 40 Festivals Have Signed Up For Festival Vision: 2025
05 Jul 2016Over 40 UK music festivals have pledged to work together to create a more environmentally sustainable festival industry by signing Festival Vision: 2025 — the vision and roadmap for a sustainable future presented by industry think-do tank Powerful Thinking in its seminal environmental report, The Show Must Go On. Festivals both large and small, with genres from rock music…
Tickets on sale and first details announced for Festival Congress 2016
21 Jun 2016AIF Confirms Flagship Event Dates & Program The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), the London based trade association that represents UK festival organisers, has announced the dates of Festival Congress, which will take place in Cardiff for the third year running later this year. Confirmed for 1st and 2nd November 2016 Festival Congress, which will take place at the Wales…
Measuring Towards Event Sustainability
15 Jun 2016As the season gets going, here’s a quick reminder of what festival organisers can do to contribute to a more environmentally responsible festival industry. The three most important and easiest things you can do this year to begin a successful journey toward a more sustainable event are: 1. Measure your impacts onsite — ask contractors for data on water consumption,…