The UK’s festival business requires a £30 million cash injection for events in “immediate crisis”, according to the Association Of Independent Festivals (AIF).

The Covid-19 pandemic is set to cost the domestic festival scene an entire year’s worth of income, losing an average of £375,000 per event. Redundancies of 59% are anticipated without urgent financial assistance.

Last week, AIF called for clarity on the sector’s eligibility for the government’s £1.57 billion support package for the arts, and CEO Paul Reed ...