Without a doubt, many more festivals will be forced to make 2024 their last stop if there isn't intervention now from the UK Govt. Some temporary support - lowering VAT down from 20% to 5% on ticket sales for the next three years - is all that's needed to give them the space they need to recover and rebuild.
What can you do?
ONE: Write to your mp
The most important thing you can do is type out a letter to your local MP asking them to lower VAT on ticket sales for music festivals from 20% to 5% for the next three years. And by write, we mean type out a letter, print it out, and post it your MP. If you only do one thing, that's the most effective thing you can do.
Your favourite festivals might be in the place that you live, or they might be elsewhere in the UK. When it comes to writing to an MP, you can only write to your own MP as they can only respond to correspondence from their own constituents.
You can find your MP by going HERE and typing in your postcode.
Write your MP a letter. We're not going to give you a template, as MPs no longer really respond to cut and paste messages. This is why writing a letter and posting it is now the most effective lobbying tool, as it demonstrates that you've spent some time in contacting them.
The things you definitely need to write are simply :
Your name, your address (and postcode)
That you want your MP to lower the VAT rate on music festival ticket sales from 20% to 5% for the next three years to help save music festivals.
You'll probably want to write some other things to pad out your letter. Make it as individual as you can. Here's some ideas for inspiration:
Why you like festivals - name some you go to or have been to
Why you go to festivals - to see music; to have experiences; to be with friends or family; to meet people; as a holiday; to support local events; to lose yourself in an event
Think about your first festival - what was that and when?
Your favourite festival experiences.
Maybe you work in festivals or in music - what do you do? Why?
Write as much or as little as you like. Then get that letter in the post!
TWO: share
THREE: sign up
Sign up to our mailing list to keep informed on our progress. We don't expect to email often.
FOUR: Send an email
If you really cannot post a letter, then email your MP. It will help, and it is better than nothing, but it's about 1000th as effective as typing out / writing out a letter and posting it. You can find their contact details HERE.
