Urgent support needed for festivals, DCMS Committee Chair says

DCMS Committee Chair Julian Knight has called on the Chancellor to provide urgent Government support to enable the festivals sector to open up this summer. 

The Treasury has rejected a previous plan supported by more than 100 organisations and individuals in the performance sectors to extend an underwriting scheme offered to other creative industries. 

John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, suggested at that time the publication of a roadmap for the reopening of the events sector could be the "right point" to consider potential support, including insurance-based options. 

Knight said: “The Treasury rejected our earlier call for a Government-backed insurance scheme that would have provided a safety net for festivals to go ahead, saying the time was not right.

“While we’ve seen welcome news for fans that the Reading and Leeds festivals will happen, the rest of the sector needs more than a roadmap to give them the confidence it takes to get events underway. 

“We’re calling on the Chancellor to review that decision now that the Government has a better sense of the road to recovery."