What does Boomtown’s cancellation mean for other music festivals?

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The reasons Boomtown’s organisers have given are twofold: the lack of certainty surrounding live events in summer 2021, and the lack of any government-backed insurance scheme that would protect festivals should they be forced to cancel due to the pandemic. Industry figures, including Parklife co-founder Sacha Lord and musicians such as Robert Plant and Sir Cliff Richard, have spent months campaigning for a government-backed insurance scheme that would protect festivals this summer. “For an independent event as large and complex as Boomtown, this would mean an eight-figure-sum gamble, risking our future as a festival if we were to proceed and then not be able to go ahead if more restrictions were placed by the government.” Several other festivals have rolled out announcements of their plans to go ahead this summer, from Latitude and Creamfields to All Points East and Isle of Wight. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial Sign up There’s also the issue of travel restrictions, which are highly unlikely to have been lifted by the time these events take place.