UK: Plans for reopening music festivals without insurance
Mixmag reported last week on how in the UK festival season dealt a blow with no event cancellation insurance forthcoming in the Spring Budget.
The government’s recent unveiling of a roadmap to reopening the economy aiming for clubs to reopen and festivals to be able to take place from June 21 sparked positivity among the industry and consumers, with multiple festivals around the UK selling out in rapid fashion since the announcement.
However, the lack of cancellation insurance offered by the government has been a cause for concern for festival organisers, with Paul Reed of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) saying it is an “enormous risk” for independent festivals to press on with planning without cover.
Schemes of this kind in Europe have seen Germany set up a €2.5 billion cancellation fund to cover the cost of events planned for the second half of 2021, and the Dutch government create a cancellation fund of at least €300 million to cover festivals aiming to place from July onwards.
Sacha Lord also expressed the need for insurance and indicated it may be forthcoming in future, saying: “Concerned we still don’t have a Government-backed COVID indemnity insurance policy for events. It’s critical and hundreds of events, including weddings are relying on this. I know Westminster and the Treasury are considering it, so I will continue to drive this through.”