Liverpool's Iconic Africa Oyé Festival Cancels 2025 Edition Due to Rising Costs
Liverpool's Africa Oyé, one of the UK's most celebrated festivals, has announced the cancellation of its 2025 edition due to unsustainable cost increases of over 30%.
Canceled Africa Oye Festival Crowd Scene
Paul Duhaney, the festival's artistic director, explains that mounting infrastructure and compliance costs make it impossible to safely deliver the event without major investment. The organizers hope to return in 2026.
This cancellation adds to the growing crisis in the UK festival sector, with 211 festivals having ceased operations since 2019. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) is advocating for a reduction in VAT on festival tickets from 20% to 5% to help sustain these cultural events.
AIF CEO John Rostron highlights that despite strong ticket sales, festivals are struggling with near-zero profit margins due to:
- Post-pandemic cost increases
- Brexit impacts on the live music sector
- Skyrocketing operational expenses
The AIF, representing 145 UK music festivals ranging from 500 to 80,000 capacity events, warns that without government intervention, more cultural cornerstones will disappear. Their member festivals, including notable events like GreenBelt, Mighty Hoopla, and Notting Hill Carnival, collectively reach over 3.3 million people annually.
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