Max SteventonThe Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has launched the Independent Festival Directory, allowing festival fans to search and discover independent events.
AIF CEO John Rostron said the new directory was created in response to concerns from member festivals that large, corporate-backed events dominate discovery, making it harder for independent festivals to compete on equal terms.
The directory represents 153 UK music festivals enabling fans to keep up with familiar festivals while discovering new ones.
It has been introduced by Rostron as part of today’s (5 February) AIF 2026 Festival Congress in Bristol (pictured). The congress is an annual gathering for independent festival organisers with a sold-out crowd of 400 delegates.
“We know festival fans are increasingly seeking independent spaces,”, continued Rostron. “It’ll be an incredibly helpful tool for festivals. After early bird and line up announcements, promoters have to spend a lot of money during the ‘hard yards’ that follow as they try to sell the rest of their tickets – putting significant resource towards ads, social media campaigns and more during that time.
“This directory allows them to come together in one space where independent festival fans will also. It’ll make a big difference for many events.”