Culture minister claims getting start date for events is first step, but organisers say festival planning is impossible without cover, as offered to the film and TV sector
After the cancellation of this year’s Glastonbury festival cast doubt on whether this year’s UK festival season could go ahead, British event organisers say that a lack of insurance is “the biggest barrier” to their viability. But the government is resisting a commitment to providing indemnity for the sector, akin to the Film and TV Production Restart Scheme announced in July.
Many festivals are not insured for communicable diseases and the insurance market is not offering Covid-19 cover for cancellation and business interruption. In response to the Glastonbury cancellation, the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said on Thursday: “We continue to help the arts on recovery, including problems around getting insurance.” It is not clear whether insurance was a factor in the Glastonbury organisers’ decision.
