Latest News

The story of David and Goliath is well known but the reality is that Goliath normally wins and this is reflected in many industry awards programmes. EN introduced The Indy Award recently to cater for exactly this – to allo...
Published on: 18th July 2018

The Festival and Outdoor Events Show (Festout) returns with a focus on key industry training September 26th/27th, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey...
Published on: 17th July 2018

The EN 30/30 returns for its 4th outing, to recognise excellence in the next generation of exhibition professionals....
Published on: 4th July 2018

Over 5000 people visited Southwell in early June for the most successful Gate To Southwell acoustic and roots music festival so far....
Published on: 4th July 2018

Did you know that our folk festival directory to UK and European festivals is one of the most popular parts of our website? It gets consistently high views all year round and as we run it in collaboration with fRoots magazine...
Published on: 4th July 2018

In the first week of July 2018 a young girl enjoying the summer sunshine on a bouncy castle at the beach was hurled into the air as the castle exploded. Unfortunately, she died of her injuries....
Published on: 4th July 2018

We would be delighted if you could join us to experience the very first Timber Festival to be held over the weekend of on 6 - 8 July 2018 at Feanedock in the National Forest, near Ashby de la Zouch....
Published on: 27th June 2018

The UK’s only national body for market and street traders, events retailers and mobile caterers...
Published on: 27th June 2018

The organiser of Event Buyers Live is once again saying “hey” to Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire, and is delighted to reveal the venue as the location for the 2019 event....
Published on: 27th June 2018

Flags needed - Can you help...
Published on: 21st June 2018

As the 2018 festival season gets underway, the British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA) is appealing to event organisers to take a robust stance against gas abuse....
Published on: 13th June 2018

Control of noise at work in music and entertainment...
Published on: 13th June 2018

You may be aware that on 15 May 2018 the Copyright Tribunal approved the terms of a Modified PRS Tariff LP – the tariff under which PPL PRS Ltd licenses “light and popular” live music events....
Published on: 7th June 2018

Responding to the complexity and confusion around which biofuels are good environmental choices, Julie's Bicycle and Powerful Thinking Steering Group members have created a comprehensive new guidance sheet to answer all your ...
Published on: 6th June 2018

The National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) has unveiled the theme and key speakers for its 2018 Convention, taking place at The Guildhall, Bath in November this year. The convention theme is a return to ‘traditional NOE...
Published on: 6th June 2018

New resource aims to reduce risk and issues for festival goers...
Published on: 6th June 2018

It's an exciting time for event sustainability and Vision:2025. Many environmental initiatives and new resources have been launched in the last few months. This email has a round up of the latest....
Published on: 30th May 2018

Members will have read lots about GDPR over the last few months. It is shortly to become law and you need to make sure you are up to speed. By far the best advice we can offer you is to look at the website www.ico.org.uk lo...
Published on: 24th May 2018

Everyone and their dog is talking about the new GDPR regulations coming in May this year. But very few people are offering you a concrete solution....
Published on: 24th May 2018

ID&C, the UK’s leading provider of security wristbands for festivals and live events, has announced Ramsbottom’s Head for the Hills Festival as the winner of its Grass Roots Festival Bursary and recipient of the £2500 gr...
Published on: 21st May 2018

Market stalls and caterers attract VAT!...
Published on: 16th May 2018

No, this is not a free holiday, just a response to the barrage of newsreels, newspaper photographs and targeted facts, figures and information that keep coming at us under the title of Blue Planet....
Published on: 16th May 2018

AFO members and others will know from previous statements, PRS and AFO along with several other Live music promoters and associations have been discussing the Performing Right Society’s demand to increase the % rate of the...
Published on: 16th May 2018

You got your tickets after frantically ringing around with your friends on release day. You have that tent in the garage, you think. Just need to pack a bag and jump on the train now. You’re ready – aren’t you?...
Published on: 8th May 2018

RESPONSE TO THE NEW DRAFT REGULATIONS ON LIGHTING PROPOSED UNDER THE ECODESIGN DIRECTIVE 2009/125/EC AS PART OF THE ECODESIGN WORKING PLAN 2016-2019...
Published on: 8th May 2018

We're proud to have been the Official Ticketing Partner of Oxjam for the last decade. It's the UK’s largest grassroots music festival, and they need aspiring Festival Managers to run events in the Midlands this October and ...
Published on: 8th May 2018

Following CMA enforcement action, 3 major secondary ticketing websites have pledged a number of changes to the way information is provided to customers....
Published on: 3rd May 2018

Message from Steve Heap - AFO General Secretary...
Published on: 3rd May 2018

The Nationwide Caterers Association is delighted to announce that Jenny Morris MBE has joined the organisation as an advisor to the board on strategy and food safety....
Published on: 3rd May 2018

NOEA Newsletter...
Published on: 3rd May 2018

The Family Arts Campaign is delighted to announce our first ever Family Arts Leadership Symposium. Established and emerging cultural leaders are invited to engage in the big issues affecting working with families....
Published on: 24th April 2018

Rock City Stage Crew were Energy Revolution’s star supplier member in 2017, balancing their fossil fuel travel miles to eight UK festivals through direct investment in clean renewable energy. In total they balanced 30,796 l...
Published on: 24th April 2018

It is with immense sadness and regret that we have to announce that this year’s festival cannot go ahead. Beverley Folk Festival is a non-profit-making organisation, run by a dedicated team of volunteers. Unfortunately ...
Published on: 23rd April 2018

BEWARE - STOLEN FURNITURE SCAM...
Published on: 22nd April 2018

AFO Code of Practice...
Published on: 14th April 2018

This newsletter is a space for our members, and others active in traditional music in Scotland, to share news, stories and thoughts. Contributions are always welcome....
Published on: 12th April 2018

Can anyone offer an internship for Antoine in the field of lighting, sound and video?...
Published on: 9th April 2018

The awards are now in their sixth year and will once again recognise the achievements of companies delivering digital and technological solutions to the events industry. The Event Technology Awards ceremony will take place in...
Published on: 9th April 2018

At the end of last week the Government announced that it had agreed a Sector Deal with the Creative Industries which will have positive implications for producing the creative and cultural resources on which tourism is based....
Published on: 9th April 2018

There was a time when the events industry stood on its own two feet; just sell a few tickets, pay the bills and all was well. I think that may well be in the dim and distant past....
Published on: 22nd March 2018

All in one, collapsible, multi-fuel outdoor cooking stove - BBQ grill, oven, rotisserie & more...
Published on: 21st March 2018

Spring is here and festivals are just around the corner! Do you need paint for your festival event? Community RePaint is the answer! We are a non-profit distributing company that collects reusable, leftover paint and re-distr...
Published on: 21st March 2018

A major shift in the way UK festivals approached energy management and travel planning in 2017 has been revealed in the annual Festival & Events Industry Green Survey....
Published on: 19th March 2018

It is with great sadness that I have to say, having heard from our friends at Chippenham Festival, that Ted Poole, organiser, folk enthusiast, MC, great chorus singer, trade unionist and all round good and kind man has passed...
Published on: 19th March 2018

FIGHTBACK: GRASSROOTS PROMOTER Exciting new initiative from Music Planet Live and Music Venue Trust Music Venue Trust and Music Planet Live are delighted to announce a major new partnership to reinvigorate and diversify...
Published on: 8th March 2018

A major shift in the way UK festivals approached energy management and travel planning in 2017 has been revealed in the third annual Festival & Events Industry Green Survey....
Published on: 7th March 2018

I was recently at Derby University Buxton Campus for the Students Industry Day and although I met with a good number of potential festival organisers in the first and second year students, one outstanding student was SARAH JO...
Published on: 7th March 2018

UK’s most family-friendly arts and cultural organisations recognised Winners of the national Fantastic for Families Awards 2018 have been revealed at an awards ceremony at Carriageworks Theatre in LeedsEight awards were ...
Published on: 7th March 2018

As part of a major campaign to encourage event and festival organisers to reduce plastics at their events, we are proud to launch our second edition Making Waves: Plastic-Free Festival Guide. The guide provides expert and pra...
Published on: 6th March 2018

Donald Shaw is to step aside as artistic director of Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival in the wake of the record-breaking 25th annual event attracting more than 130,000 concert-goers for the first time ever....
Published on: 13th February 2018

Member offer. The cost of course the First Event Counter Terrorism Course being offered to NOEA Members is (a one time) £950.00 (Normally£ 1950)....
Published on: 13th February 2018

The industry networking party of the year! Open to all live event professionals. With drinks reception, networking, specialist food and a FANTASTIC fireworks display to ensure your evening goes off with a BANG!...
Published on: 13th February 2018

BEWARE CASH REQUEST SCAM. Friends at Bristol Jazz Festival and World Music Engineer (Rob Ellmore) are warning us that Bristol Jazz and others have been targeted by a scam....
Published on: 12th February 2018

Tickets are on sale...
Published on: 31st January 2018

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) takes effect on 25 May 2018. Most charities and not-for-profit organisations realise they should be reviewing their data protection practices now, and taking steps to prepare, but...
Published on: 31st January 2018

FEATURE OPPORTUNITY: Do you know an event or festival organiser that is creating amazing work but doesn't shout about themselves as much as they should? Stand Out is looking for event and festival organisers only to profile f...
Published on: 31st January 2018

We need you to help us make AGENT OF CHANGE a reality in UK Law....
Published on: 17th January 2018

Hello. Welcome to the first Outdoor Arts newsletter of 2018. We hope you had a good festive period and that you're looking forward to the next twelve months....
Published on: 11th January 2018

Coventry to host UK City of Culture 2021...
Published on: 23rd December 2017

Tramlines Festival has revealed a new home for 2018 following the approval of its event licence....
Published on: 18th December 2017

Tickets are now available to purchase for The Event Club party, the first opportunity of the season for the entire events industry to come together and collaborate under one roof....
Published on: 12th December 2017

Each year we conduct the annual Festival & Events Industry Green Survey which asks organisers about their sustainability goals over the last year, their plans for next year and the challenges faced over the past season....
Published on: 7th December 2017

AFO is proud to be working alongside World Music Engineer at Conference this year. We have no hesitation in recommending Rob and his team to your festival or event....
Published on: 20th October 2017

More than 3,000 seafood and music lovers braved heavy showers to attend the annual Fishstock Brixham festival on Saturday. The weather meant attendance numbers were slightly down on previous years, but the rain could not damp...
Published on: 27th September 2017

As part of the work BVEP is engaged in with the Tourism Alliance and VisitBritain in preparing an Industrial Strategy Sector Deal, some of the submission is likely to include measures to reduce regulatory burdens on businesse...
Published on: 27th August 2017

Stand Out Magazine's October edition will include features on waste management, staging and rigging and event safety....
Published on: 17th August 2017

Forum Training are running a Safeguarding Children for Charities Conference in London on 18 January 2018....
Published on: 14th August 2017

DCMS are asking for more information about how we think Brexit and the movement of workers will affect your festivals and events....
Published on: 12th August 2017

Wild Rumpus, organiser of Just So Festival, has revealed details of the first New Zealand edition. Just So Festival New Zealand will be an annual, intimate, weekend-long festival and imaginative outdoor adventure like no othe...
Published on: 7th August 2017

For the festival organisers amongst us who have merchandise and CD stalls (a great source of festival income), Proper Music Distribution recently announced a real fight back....
Published on: 7th August 2017

Awards Deadline extended to 11 September 2017. Entries are free but must be submitted by 11 September 2017. Those shortlisted in each category will be offered up to two half price tickets for the awards dinner in Bath on 22 ...
Published on: 7th August 2017

We were sad to hear that WellowFest in Nottinghamshire has been targeted by thieves. Do take time to review your money handling policy and remind your festival team to be alert and vigilant....
Published on: 7th August 2017

Fantastic for Families is a year-round arts listings website and national promotional campaign to families, run by the Family Arts Campaign . Fantasticforfamilies.com will launch on 1st October and will replace the national F...
Published on: 7th August 2017

Please see below links to updated advice from the Home Office which may be of interest....
Published on: 7th August 2017

Diversity is the future of farming. More and more farms are looking at branching out into more than one area to establish multiple streams of income which will allow business to remain resilient in times where subsidies are f...
Published on: 7th August 2017

This course, the first of its kind when it started in 2008, has helped professionalise and validate industry professionals in Event Safety Management. It has been developed by industry for industry, and is now delivered in pa...
Published on: 7th August 2017

It has been brought to our attention that there is a volunteer steward going around the festival scene who we would class as undesirable....
Published on: 7th August 2017

A weeks holiday by the sea at one of Europe's most rewarding festivals awaits those who have already booked for this year's Sidmouth FolkWeek and, for those thinking about it, think no more and get down to Devon!...
Published on: 4th August 2017

House of Commons Select Committees have made their choice of Chairs for the various committees that do the background work. The ones involving music and the festival scene include Damian Collins, MP, Chair of DCMS. Rob Ha...
Published on: 21st July 2017

Julie's Bicycle have announced the second Creative Climate Leadership (CCL) programme, which will run from 8-14 October, 2017 in Koper, Slovenia. Following the success of the CCL course in March 2017, this second internati...
Published on: 21st July 2017

The sixty UK music festivals who have pledged to cut their event's environmental impacts by 50% with Vision: 2025 will meet onWednesday 18th October 2017 at The Showman's Show. The meeting is chance to network and share ex...
Published on: 21st July 2017

BBC Radio Scotland – members in the North of England and indeed Scotland may be interested to know that on 9 July, AFO General Secretary SH was interviewed by Radio Scotland from their Glasgow studios. Others involved in...
Published on: 19th July 2017

It has been brought to our attention that some members have insurance policies that do not include any use of fire anywhere on their site. I strongly recommend that you check yours....
Published on: 18th July 2017

It looks like the Europeans may be sending us a little bit more regulation before we drop out. This may not be a bad thing. Read on for more information on the General Data Protection Regulation which seeks to create a har...
Published on: 18th July 2017

The following information is sent to event and festival organisers, event security providers and related associations to mitigate the risk caused by unlicensed staff. The SIA is investigating event security provider LS Armou...
Published on: 14th July 2017

UK Music has launched the Wish You Were Here 2017 report into music tourism. The report features both national and regional figures and reveals the huge impact of music tourism on the UK economy. The number of people who en...
Published on: 11th July 2017

The Hampstead Village Business Improvement District (BID) is considering holding a Christmas Festival in Hampstead Village, London NW3 at the end of November. We need an experienced event management professional to help us r...
Published on: 10th July 2017

Energy Revolution is the festival industry collaboration that turns audience fossil-fuel travel miles into a direct investment in renewable energy. This brilliant project is now a registered charity, meaning every donation ma...
Published on: 6th July 2017

When Alan told me he was moving Bridgnorth Festival to the site in Shrewsbury, it was his enthusiasm for a new venture that made me and many others think “this is bound for glory and success”. Always a great supporter ...
Published on: 30th June 2017

Are you a small festival and looking to have festival t-shirts printed? Folk Weekend Oxford are offering AFO members the opportunity to sell their festival t-shirts through the Folk Weekend Oxford online shop....
Published on: 21st June 2017

Plymouth City Council is looking for a partner to deliver a high quality, mass appeal music event starting in 2018. The venue for this event would be the stunning and unique Plymouth Hoe with breath-taking views across Plymou...
Published on: 20th June 2017

A Greener Festival Expands to assess events and venues. The team behind the internationally acclaimed Greener Festival Award have launched the Greener Event Award, as part of an expansion of services to the broader events ind...
Published on: 16th June 2017

The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) is delighted to announce a five-year official partnership with Glastonbury Festival, after researchers developed the Pee Power urinal....
Published on: 14th June 2017

After the terrible events at Manchester Arena some weeks ago and the recent attack on London Bridge, we have received a number of pieces of advice from a variety of organisations. The most comprehensive of which has now arri...
Published on: 12th June 2017

On Thursday 4th May, AFO members from a range of different festival from around the UK attended an AFO Training Day at The Hawth Theatre, Crawley. The session was delivered by Andy Grove of HighGrove Events Limited who had ta...
Published on: 8th June 2017

The Farm Business Innovation Show is returning to the NEC Birmingham on the 8th & 9th of November 2017 and will be packed with the most creative products from 450 exhibitors, useful services and ideas, and 200 inspiring semin...
Published on: 8th June 2017

A new guide has been published by the Events Industry Forum to help organisers of smaller events comply with regulations and good practice. The new ‘Purple Guide Lite’ is a sister publication to the ‘Purple Guide to...
Published on: 7th June 2017

Self-employed? Here are details of HMRC's digital support courses for June. HMRC have a selection of webinars and e-learning available to help you get their tax right first time....
Published on: 7th June 2017

Our sincere condolences to the victims and their families and best wishes for recovery to those injured in Manchester. ​The whole events industry is in shock and immediate events this weekend (May Bank Holiday) are obvio...
Published on: 26th May 2017

When governments declare budgets, usually in March or April they trumpet the important bits and somehow manage to slip through all kinds of tiny changes that affect people at a later date. One of those ‘tiny changes’ i...
Published on: 26th May 2017

Following the attack in Manchester this week, the Security Industry Authority have released the following statement: The independent Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) has raised the threat level for international terr...
Published on: 25th May 2017

The independent music and arts festival Samphire has been announced as the winning recipients of this year’s ID&C £2500 Grass Roots Bursary....
Published on: 22nd May 2017

Energy Revolution is a festival industry collaboration that turns your fossil-fuel travel miles into a direct investment in renewable energy. Together we can turn millions of miles of travel into clean energy and turn a probl...
Published on: 22nd May 2017

The White Book contains every event resource in one place, which is why it has been the go-to-guide to the live events industry for more than 30 years....
Published on: 22nd May 2017

GL events UK, supported by Stand Out, has launched a survey to understand how globalisation will affect the future of the outdoor events sector....
Published on: 18th May 2017

Lance Show and Publications Ltd, organiser of the Showman’s Show will once again be supporting the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) Awards later this year, following confirmation of its sponsorship of the ‘Event...
Published on: 18th May 2017

National Campaign for the Arts has produced a prompt sheet which suggests three questions to ask your Parliamentary candidates, to gauge how knowledgeable and committed they are to issues facing the arts in the UK....
Published on: 10th May 2017

Professor Waterson is heard at last! Crackdown on ticket touts as the government ban bulk buying and re-selling has at last happened. The work of Professor Waterson and colleagues at UK Music has finally come home. The Guar...
Published on: 28th April 2017

With the enormous rise of streaming, downloading etc. there were some in the industry who thought that the CD business was on its way out. Well it certainly may be slowing down, but it hasn’t dented the business of Proper ...
Published on: 27th April 2017

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority have been in contact with the AFO office and they say: "Are you looking for a new outdoor space for your events with great transport links to Central London? "...
Published on: 27th April 2017

With the weather warming up, many outdoor types will be looking to pitch their tent in the countryside or set out on the open road in their caravan. Whether it be for a holiday or to wile away the weekend at a music festiv...
Published on: 26th April 2017

Do you or any of your contractors use red diesel? If so, HM Treasury would like your views:...
Published on: 23rd April 2017

Don’t panic, organisers of events and professional firework people still allowed. This is a revision to Section 134 in the Police and Crime Act 2017 now referring to the possession of pyrotechnic articles at musical events...
Published on: 14th April 2017

After several years of working with the new licensing act first introduced in 2003, the House of Lords are now discussing how licensing committees actually work at local authority level....
Published on: 14th April 2017

Calling all Festivals and Events. Applications are open for the Greener Festival Award Assessment 2017. If you haven't already please submit your request to apply ASAP for UK, North American and European Events....
Published on: 6th April 2017

The Association of Festival Organisers (AFO) and Powerful Thinking have developed this factsheet to provide inspiration for small events organisers who wish to reduce environmental impacts associated with their power usage. T...
Published on: 29th March 2017

There’s been a lot going on for Fleetwood Folk & Blues, and we’re well on the way with plans for FaB Weekend this September (1st to 3rd)....
Published on: 28th March 2017

Donald Trump Says It Isn’t Happening and Has Taken Sustainability Off the White House Website!! It is expected that by 2050 much of the UK coastal areas will be underwater....
Published on: 28th March 2017

NOEA has released the following statement after the attack in Westminster on Wednesday: For those of you who haven’t heard of the TIER Group, it is the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group co-ordinated by VisitBrita...
Published on: 24th March 2017

Are you a UK Musician, Songwriter, Composer, Producer, Engineer or Manager and would like to be in with the chance of winning the following prizes?......
Published on: 16th March 2017

The new and updated Powerful Thinking Guide provides event professionals with up-to-date knowledge and practical resources to help manage temporary energy smartly, reducing environmental impacts and fuel bills....
Published on: 15th March 2017

Celebrating what could be considered the best aspects of music, film, culture, poetry, theatre and everything in between, Latitude Festival began its journey in 2006. Now in planning for the 12th edition, Danco are pleased to...
Published on: 14th March 2017

If you are registered for VAT are you charging your traders, caterers and market stalls the right amount? HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) wants their share of the cake....
Published on: 14th March 2017

WHAT IS THE UK LIVE MUSIC CENSUS? The UK’s first ever live music census – a ‘Springwatch’ for live music. The Census covers all genres and we take a broad definition of live music to include events featuring DJs....
Published on: 10th March 2017

Mash Media, publishers of Access All Areas and other event industry magazines, announced on 1 March its newest product: The Festival & Outdoor Events Show....
Published on: 9th March 2017

The live and outdoor events industry celebrated well into the night last week at the Event Production Awards, cheering on a host of well-deserved winners....
Published on: 9th March 2017

The organisers of the Secret Garden Party music festival have annouced that the 2017 festival will be the last one. In a statement on their website they say: "My dearest Gardeners, Whilst I have always known I was goin...
Published on: 8th March 2017

AFO is delighted to be able to offer to membership advice on “the money”. Our good friends at APS Accountancy in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and Dunstable, Bedfordshire are offering a similar service to that of Jon Payn...
Published on: 4th March 2017

40 Festivals and organisations [including AFO's Steve Heap] met on the 26th January to shape the future of the Festival Vision: 2025. Hosted by Chair of Powerful Thinking, Chris Johnson and Julie’s Bicycle founder and CEO A...
Published on: 1st February 2017

For those of you who had a chance to fill in the Conference 2016 Questionnaire, many thanks. The results have now been carefully analysed and quite clearly there is a wealth of enthusiasm out there for this event....
Published on: 24th January 2017

In the last 12 months AFO has: 1) Been represented at 46 meetings of local and national interest to festivals 2) Welcomed over 200 delegates to The 30th AFO Conference. Get the date in your diary now for AFO Conference...
Published on: 23rd January 2017

AFO partners, Spiral Earth have a New Year advertising offer. Here's the deal ... With winter slowly drawing to a close and (hopefully) warmer days around the corner, we’re all looking ahead to festival season...
Published on: 22nd January 2017

Proper Records has entered into a label management deal with the world’s oldest independent record label, Topic Records, building on their longstanding relationship. The UK-based folk label has released artists from across ...
Published on: 19th January 2017

A Greener Festival and ILMC are excited to release news of an important session that will take place at the forthcoming GEI9 in March......
Published on: 19th January 2017

A Greener Festival (AGF) have announced all 25 winners of the Greener Festival Award since the schemes relaunch in 2016. These are the first events to receive this prestigious award since it’s relaunch last year, with addit...
Published on: 16th January 2017

Powerful Thinking and Julie’s Bicycle will hold the first Festival Vision:2025 Meeting at The Festival Suppliers Awards on January 26th 2017 at The Hurlingham Club, London....
Published on: 16th January 2017

The Family Arts Campaign and the Family & Childcare Trust have developed a set of Family Arts Standards, addressing a need for clear guidance on how best to welcome families to arts organisations....
Published on: 6th January 2017

In a recent publication on their website eFestivals tell us there were approximately 898 festivals in 2016 and their research suggested that maybe the festival bubble had burst yet again....
Published on: 5th January 2017

A cross-party group of MPs joined forces with campaigners from the music industry outside Parliament on Monday (29/11) as the Digital Economy Bill reached its ‘report stage’ in Parliament....
Published on: 19th December 2016