Christopher BarrettSome 33% of major European festivals were the target of some form of protest or call for a boycott last year, according to YOUROPE research.
Involving input from more than 220 festivals, YOUROPE’s European Festival Report found that major festivals are far more likely to have faced calls for boycott in 2025 than medium or smaller festivals.
The report’s author, IQ’s James Drury, said the finding aligns with the broader trend of cultural activism increasingly targeting high-visibility, high-investment events: “Larger festivals sit at the intersection of global finance, political discourse, and mass audiences, making them more exposed to reputational campaigns, whether related to ownership structures, brand partners, environmental concerns, or geopolitical positions.”
The issue of booking politically outspoken artists, and the ability to handle the potential backlashes, has also become a major concern for festival operators. LIVE is currently working on a guidance document for both festivals and venues.
Among the other key finding in the report, published by European featival association YOUROPE in partnership with IQ, are:
- 28% of established festivals report rising production costs as their most significant challenge.
- Ticket prices increased again, with the average day ticket increasing by 4 – 11.1% depending on the size of the festival – the average ticket prices rose by 5.6% and the average ticket price for a whole event is €203.21.
- For newer festivals, booking artists is the single biggest challenge cited by 31% of respondents.
- International visitors to festivals remain comparatively low. 80% of festivals draw less than 20% of their audience from outside their home country.