According to a report by the Association for Independent Festivals (AIF), over 200 UK festivals have vanished since 2019, with cancellations doubling from 36 in 2022 to 72 in 2023-2024. The total lost since 2019 is now 204, including 96 due to COVID-19. AIF CEO John Rostron highlighted the devastation faced by festival organizers and called for a temporary VAT reduction on tickets from 20% to 5% to help revive the sector. Rising operational costs have led to the cancellation of major festivals, prompting AIF to seek urgent government intervention to prevent further losses.