Smaller UK music festivals struggle to be heard in crowded market

This year’s wet summer saw many events axed, but rising costs and competition are a worry whatever the weather

It was meant to be a big moment for Blink18Who, a tribute act to California pop punk band Blink-182. The trio from Shropshire should have spent this Sunday evening wowing a 7,000-strong sold-out crowd at the Wannasee Penrith festival in Cumbria. But they heard last week that the entire event had been cancelled because the rainy summer had left the site “saturated” and treacherous.

The cancellation crowns a difficult summer for Britain’s vibrant – and crowded – music festival industry. The Leeds and Reading festivals have drawn almost 200,000 fans between them this weekend, and Glastonbury – standard ticket £360 – entertained about 210,000, but their smaller counterparts (most UK festivals sell between 5,000 and 20,000 tickets) have experienced a storm of problems from competition and poor weather to cost headaches.

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