Fresh concerns have been raised over the future of independent festivals in the U.K. thanks to rising costs, which are having an impact on both artists and promoters, according to a report in The Observer.

The Association of Independent Festivals has said there’s a 30% rise in the costs of putting on a show, which has resulted in one in six festivals closing permanently since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, low artist fees mean that some acts can’t afford to play at the events that are still intact. David Martin, chief exec of the Featured Artist Coalition, said “artists in the middle are being squeezed. We should heed the warnings we’re seeing from canceled shows.”

Since 2019, the number of independent festivals in the U.K. has dropped to 482 from 600, according to AIF data. John Rostron, chief exec of the trade body, said recent closures are partly due to organizers staging events in 2022 for “2019 prices” due to tickets that were honored from pre-COVID dates. In addition, he says that the market is losing interest from young music fans.

In May, Chagstock—a 5k capacity festival in Devon—announced its closure after 16 years in business, due to "the struggle to catch up after missing a year due to COVID, combined with increased competition, escalating costs, the cost of living crisis and lower than expected ticket sales," according to a post on Facebook.

Rostron is asking the government for a reduction in VAT, down to 5% as a temporary measure. He concluded: “That would mean we can get that cushion, find those young people that might be missing and rebuild.”