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

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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

5 items
1 Conclusion First Report - The future of UK music f… Not Addressed

With only 8% of festivals applying for the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund,...

With only 8% of festivals applying for the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund, and those that were successful receiving just 1.3% of the available grants, the Government’s flagship investment in the arts was of limited benefit to the festival sector as a whole. This was in part due … Read more

Government response AI summary
The Government highlights its comprehensive financial support for the festival sector during the pandemic, including over £21 million awarded to music festivals from the final round of the Culture Recovery Fund, but does not specifically address the committee's conclusion about lessons to be learned regarding …
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
3 Recommendation First Report - The future of UK music f… Not Addressed

We repeat our call for the Government to introduce a time-limited insurance scheme for costs...

We repeat our call for the Government to introduce a time-limited insurance scheme for costs incurred by live events scheduled to take place after 21 June that may have to cancel if there is a need for, or return to, continuing Covid-19 restrictions. The scheme should run until the commercial … Read more

Government response AI summary
The Government acknowledges challenges for touring and commits to continue working closely with creative industries and keeping them informed, but does not commit to introducing a time-limited insurance scheme for event cancellations due to Covid-19 restrictions.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
4 Conclusion First Report - The future of UK music f… Not Addressed

The success of the vaccine rollout and the target date announced during our inquiry under...

The success of the vaccine rollout and the target date announced during our inquiry under the Government’s roadmap for lifting lockdown gave hope to many that festivals will be able to take place this summer. However, the lifting of all restrictions on live events remains heavily contingent on the Events … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses supporting festivals on emissions targets and environmental measures in licensing, which does not address the committee's conclusion regarding the Events Research Programme and the need for further festival pilots.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
5 Recommendation First Report - The future of UK music f… Not Addressed

While our preference remains for a comprehensive sector-wide insurance scheme, we recommend, in the absence...

While our preference remains for a comprehensive sector-wide insurance scheme, we recommend, in the absence of such a scheme, a targeted intervention that extends the Events Research Programme and associated liabilities to a range of additional pilot events, including festivals of different sizes and genres, across the UK during the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response focuses on tackling drug misuse, including its stance on front-of-house and back-of-house drug testing at festivals, which does not address the recommendation for extending the Events Research Programme to additional pilot events.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
6 Conclusion First Report - The future of UK music f… Not Addressed

Festival supply chains and freelance workers cannot sustain another year with little to no income.

Festival supply chains and freelance workers cannot sustain another year with little to no income. Continued uncertainty about whether events will go ahead or a significant reduction in the number that do go ahead this summer will make it harder for skilled personnel temporarily working in other industries to return … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response addresses measures to crack down on unacceptable behaviour in the ticketing market, which does not engage with the committee's concern about the financial sustainability of festival supply chains and freelance workers.
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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…