Skiddle and the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) have launched a bursary for the second year, a scheme that matters to institute professionals as record festival closures make membership support one of the few concrete interventions available to the smallest operators. Up to 20 festivals with a capacity of 2,500 or less will receive a fully funded year long AIF membership plus promotional support from Skiddle worth up to £5,000. Applications close on 17 September.

AIF is the UK's leading not for profit trade association for independent festivals, providing members an expert network, industry guidance, and legal and professional support. It does not publish commercial financials.

Skiddle is the UK's leading independent ticketing platform, providing promotional and editorial support to festivals through its Festival Guide. Financial details are not publicly disclosed.

The bursary responds to a sustained wave of festival closures rather than a routine sponsorship scheme.

The UK lost 141 festivals across 2024, 2025 and the first half of 2026 combined, with 78 closures in 2024 alone, according to Chartlex. AIF has attributed the pattern to structural pressures including inflation, rising fuel and transport costs and squeezed audience spending.

AIF chief executive officer John Rostron said, "There is no manual to running a festival, but there is a network of nearly 200 festival organisers at AIF who come together to share, borrow, ask and help each other build and create their own individual events." Skiddle head of partnerships Duncan King said, "Small and micro festivals play an essential role in the UK's live music landscape. Through this bursary, we want to give organisers access to the expertise, resources and promotional support that can make a meaningful difference."

For the sector, a ticketing platform underwriting membership access for the smallest operators shows commercial partners stepping into support roles beyond what a not for profit association's own resources could fund alone. For the sector's micro festivals specifically, free access to AIF's guidance network addresses the operational risk closures suggest is now the norm at this scale.

Whether bursary places for 20 festivals meaningfully dent a closure rate running into the dozens each year will depend on how far AIF and Skiddle can scale the scheme in future editions.

Source: Event Industry News / Chartlex