FALLOW FESTIVAL FUND — RELAUNCHING FOR 2026

The Fallow Festival Fund is being refreshed and relaunched for early 2026.

Independent festivals have been navigating some of the toughest conditions the sector has ever known. Rising supply-chain costs, tightening supplier terms, staffing pressures, and the long tail of the pandemic and Brexit have created a landscape where even well-established events are under real strain.

Since 2020, more than 200 festivals have fallen.
In 2025 alone, 43 festivals have already cancelled - while many others have taken a deliberate fallow year to regroup, review their models, and consider how to return sustainably. This growing pattern gives the sector a chance to breathe, and a chance for us all to work together to help festivals come back stronger.

Running a festival can be a lonely place. Core teams are small, budgets are stretched, and accessing specialist support around finance, legalities, production, licensing, or revenue generation can feel out of reach. The Fallow Festival Fund exists to change that.

What the refreshed Fund will offer

A collective package of expertise, services, and product support from generous and engaged friends across the festival supply chain - designed to reduce pressure, increase resilience, and make the path back from a fallow year more manageable.

As part of this commitment, AIF now offers free one-year membership to any independent festival entering or currently in a fallow year. This includes full access to our training, guidance, resources, and the network of 170 independent festivals across the UK.

We believe that, together, the sector can help bring many fallow festivals back.

Get involved

Suppliers and service providers interested in contributing to the 2026 relaunch can email info@aiforg.com with the subject line Fallow Festival Fund Supplier Enquiry.

Festivals seeking support (whether considering a fallow year or already in one) can also contact us at info@aiforg.com. We’re here to help you explore the best route forward.

The refreshed Fund launches in early 2026.
More details coming soon.