Bectu responds to UK festival cancellations as cost of living crisis hits hard

Responding to reports of UK summer music festivals being cancelled or postponed, Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said:

“News of increasing festival cancellations is deeply concerning for a sector that is still trying to get back to pre-pandemic audience levels. When faced with high ticket prices amidst the ever-increasing cost of living, many would-be festival goers will have little choice but to cut back on this expense this summer, leaving festivals out of pocket and exposing workers to further vulnerability.

“Live events workers continue to suffer from unpredictable and insecure work following the perfect storm of Brexit restrictions, the Covid-19 pandemic and this recent wave of cancellations, each compounding the threat to the world-class skills base that is critical to a thriving arts and culture sector.

“This weekend’s spectacular Platinum Jubilee concert brilliantly demonstrated how central live events are to the social and cultural fabric of the UK. Now more than ever, the sector needs investment and sustained support to ensure these incredible experiences are available to all, and that the talented crew behind them have stable employment.”