The future of UK music festivals

Culture, Media and Sport Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 6 Nov 2020 Closed: 17 Aug 2021 Parliament page
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 … Read more
9 Recommendations
5 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
3 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 9 events
17 Aug
2021
Report published
29 May
2021
Report published
27 Apr
2021
Correspondence
24 Mar
2021
Oral evidence
16 Mar
2021
Oral evidence
26 Feb
2021
Correspondence
2 Feb
2021
Oral evidence
7 Jan
2021
Correspondence
5 Jan
2021
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
24 Mar 2021
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Caroline Dinenage MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Victoria MacCallum · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
16 Mar 2021
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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
2 Feb 2021
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Dr Andrew Smith Duncan Bell · WeMakeEvents Matthew Phillip · Notting Hill Carnival Ltd Rowan Cannon · Wild Rumpus Tre Stead
5 Jan 2021
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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
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - The future of UK music festivals HC 49 29 May 2021 14 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
8 Recommendation Rejected
First Report - The future of UK mu…
The UK has long occupied an important place in Europe’s live music ecosystem, and has...
The UK has long occupied an important place in Europe’s live music ecosystem, and has traditionally been a starting point for tours creating work for UK-based freelancers and suppliers. The substantial UK-based infrastructure, including haulage, for tours and festivals is … Read more
Government Response
The Government details actions taken to support touring artists, including establishing a working group and providing new guidance. However, it implicitly rejects monthly reporting to the Committee, stating its own communication channels are considered most appropriate for updates.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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12 Conclusion Rejected
First Report - The future of UK mu…
We are highly concerned that a compressed festival season, the likely circulation of high-strength, adulterated...
We are highly concerned that a compressed festival season, the likely circulation of high-strength, adulterated drugs and increased risk-taking after lockdown will lead to a spike in drug-related deaths at festivals this summer. We heard compelling 34 The future of … Read more
Government Response
The Government acknowledges concerns about festival drug testing but states it is unable to support front-of-house testing until further assessments of unintended consequences are carried out, thus rejecting the implied recommendation for this type of drug checking. It will, however, continue to support back-of-house testing.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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13 Recommendation Rejected
First Report - The future of UK mu…
We recommend that, before festivals take place this summer, the Home Secretary should make regulations...
We recommend that, before festivals take place this summer, the Home Secretary should make regulations under section 7 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 that allow organisations conducting drug checking to operate lawfully. Thereafter, the Government should introduce a … Read more
Government Response
The Government states it is unable to support front-of-house drug testing at festivals until further assessments of potential unintended consequences are carried out, thereby rejecting the immediate recommendation for regulations and a licensing scheme. However, it will continue to support back-of-house testing.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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14 Recommendation Rejected
First Report - The future of UK mu…
With tickets on sale for festivals that might not take place, we are concerned that...
With tickets on sale for festivals that might not take place, we are concerned that the difficulty of securing refunds from secondary ticketing platforms, and the industry’s understandable desire to maximise sales, could mean consumers lose out as the events … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected the recommendation to assess the COVID-19 pandemic's impact in a formal Post Implementation Review of the Ticket Sales Regulations 2018, stating such a review is not appropriate, though it committed to ongoing monitoring of the offence's effectiveness.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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Government Response AI assessment · 14 of 9 classified
Accepted 1
Accepted in Part 3
Acknowledged 1
Not Addressed 5
Rejected 4
Total 9 recs + 5 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
27 Apr 2021 To committee Letter from the Chair to Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Secretary of State for DCMS, re Extension of pilot scheme and associated liabilities to large events this summer, 27 April 2021
Parliament page
26 Feb 2021 To committee Letter from John Glen MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, re festivals, 8 February 2021
Parliament page
7 Jan 2021 To committee Letter from the Chair to Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, re festivals, 6 January 2021
Parliament page