No joke, but today I want to talk about the dire state of festivals this summer. I don't mean the ton of terrible festivals (though there are a lot), but the fact that festivals are being canceled one after the other. Over 45 festivals have been canceled or postponed so far this summer. I'm talking about festivals of all sizes, from one-day festivals to four-day camping festivals like El Dorado.
Independent festival organisers are the ones being hit the hardest: festivals run by big corporations have far fewer cancellations due to their greater funding and purchasing power. This, combined with the massive increase in production costs after the pandemic and Brexit, means it's extremely hard for festivals to break even, let alone make a profit.
We're all feeling it – artists (including me) and audiences. Fewer people are buying tickets because prices have gone up. We all know what we've been through in the last year or two of the cost of living crisis. There are a ton of reasons why the industry is in such a predicament right now.
How can we forget that there were no festivals for a few years due to the COVID pandemic, and many teenagers who would normally be gaining experience in a field didn't have the experience we did.
The massive show that has dominated dance floors for the past few years…the cracks are starting to show.
And when the festival schedule returned in full, it undoubtedly had an impact, with far fewer young people buying tickets today.
You've said before that everything in life is cyclical – things build up and then they fade away to be replaced by something new. I'm not saying this concept is going away anytime soon, but the idea of the big shows that have dominated dance floors for the past few years – Printworks, Drumsheds, festivals – is starting to show its fray.
Despite the recent struggle to sell tickets for expensive shows, Stormzy's House Party bar was in the headlines last week. Last week he held a “House Party” at The Little Violet Door, and had to turn away over 600 people who applied over the two days. It was a Wednesday night.
Could this signal a return of weekday parties? Dirty underground raves? I've written before that I call on DJs and performers to give up high-paying gigs every now and then and go back to their roots. Doing one-off live jams in basements, doing weekday house parties. I'm not saying people are particularly listening to what I'm saying, but something is happening. There's a change, and I'm very excited about it. Given the direction we're heading, there's a chance. Of course, Glastonbury will sell out months before the lineup is announced. Queer festival Mighty Hoopla had its biggest year ever. Lost Village will be at the forefront of booking electronic artists for years to come. There's still a lot of choice in the UK. And it looks like that choice is going to include a lot more grassroots, intimate gigs. Places where you can interact with the artists, simple environments where the music comes to the fore. That's what I'm talking about.
If you want to go to one of the many amazing festivals taking place in the UK this summer (or any time), buy your tickets in advance. We understand that many people want to wait and see what the weather is like, who's going etc. The organisers can't rely on last-minute ticket sales – the costs of running a festival are huge and require early commitment, so if you were planning to go, buy your tickets online. Support the artists. See you next Wednesday!
Track of the Week: Beautiful Day — The Shapeshifters, Liisi Lafontaine
Fat Tony is a DJ and best-selling author
