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Select Committee · Culture, Media and Sport Committee

The future of UK music festivals

Status: Closed Opened: 6 Nov 2020 Closed: 17 Aug 2021 9 recommendations 5 conclusions 1 report

MPs will examine what support is needed for UK music festivals to return in 2021, as they consider the economic and cultural impact of festivals across the country. With the vast majority of festivals cancelled in 2020 owing to COVID-19, the sector’s revenues have dropped by 90%. The predominantly freelance workforce and other parts of … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - The future of UK music festivals HC 49 29 May 2021 14 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
9 Conclusion First Report - The future of UK music f… Accepted in Part

The UK-EU trade and co-operation deal threatens not only the vibrancy of the UK’s festivals...

The UK-EU trade and co-operation deal threatens not only the vibrancy of the UK’s festivals but the music industry as a whole. The cost and complication of moving people and equipment between the UK and EU will make it less attractive for bands from overseas to play at the UK’s … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the challenges for touring artists post-Brexit and reiterates its efforts to secure bespoke arrangements with individual EU Member States. It is establishing a new DCMS-led working group, producing new guidance, and considering an Export Office to provide practical help to the creative …
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
10 Recommendation First Report - The future of UK music f… Accepted in Part

Despite the good intentions and countless initiatives to reduce the environmental impacts of festivals, the...

Despite the good intentions and countless initiatives to reduce the environmental impacts of festivals, the growth of the market has undermined the sector’s efforts to reduce overall emissions, and the legacy of the pandemic presents a further threat to those measures. The Government and local authorities should signal their commitment … Read more

Government response AI summary
The Government agrees with the goal of supporting emissions reduction and will work with DEFRA and MHCLG to explore incorporating strict environmental measures into local authority licensing frameworks for festivals. They also acknowledge current industry efforts and urge organisers to continue progress.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
11 Recommendation First Report - The future of UK music f… Accepted in Part

We recommend that before the 2023 festival season the Government, the Local Government Association and...

We recommend that before the 2023 festival season the Government, the Local Government Association and representatives from across the festival sector develop standardised environmental objectives that local authorities must adopt when licensing festivals, and that local authorities should report back to DCMS on those events’ progress at reducing emissions year-on-year. Read more

Government response AI summary
The Government agrees with supporting emissions reduction and will explore with DEFRA and MHCLG the proposal to include strict environmental measures within local authority licensing frameworks for festivals. They also acknowledge existing industry sustainability efforts.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
24 Mar 2021 Caroline Dinenage MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Victoria MacCallum · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport View ↗
16 Mar 2021 Assistant Chief Constable Justin Bibby · Staffordshire Police, Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin · National Police Chiefs' Council, Professor Carly McLachlan · The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Professor Fiona Measham · The Loop, Robert Del Naja View ↗
2 Feb 2021 Dr Andrew Smith, Duncan Bell · WeMakeEvents, Matthew Phillip · Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, Rowan Cannon · Wild Rumpus, Tre Stead View ↗
5 Jan 2021 Anna Wade · Boomtown Fair, Jamie Njoku-Goodwin · UK Music, Paul Reed · Association of Independent Festivals, Sacha Lord · Parklife and The Warehouse Project, Steve Heap · Association of Festival Organisers View ↗

Who gave evidence

17 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Anna Wade · Communications & Strategy Director Boomtown Fair 1
Assistant Chief Constable Justin Bibby · Assistant Chief Constable Staffordshire Police 1
Caroline Dinenage MP · Minister for Digital and Culture Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin · Lead for Drugs National Police Chiefs' Council 1
Dr Andrew Smith — 1
Duncan Bell · Political group leader WeMakeEvents 1
Jamie Njoku-Goodwin · Chief Executive UK Music 1
Matthew Phillip · Chief Executive Notting Hill Carnival Ltd 1
Paul Reed · Chief Executive Association of Independent Festivals 1
Professor Carly McLachlan · Professor of Climate and Energy Policy The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research 1
Professor Fiona Measham · Director The Loop 1
Robert Del Naja — 1
Rowan Cannon · Director Wild Rumpus 1
Sacha Lord · Co-founder Parklife and The Warehouse Project 1
Steve Heap · General Secretary Association of Festival Organisers 1
Tre Stead — 1
Victoria MacCallum · Head of policy for the creative industries Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
27 Apr 2021 To cttee Letter from the Chair to Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Secretary of State for DC…
26 Feb 2021 To cttee Letter from John Glen MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, re festivals, 8 …
7 Jan 2021 To cttee Letter from the Chair to Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, re…