Are UK festivals in decline this year? eFestivals statistics tend to disagree

Our friends at eFestivals have been looking at whether or not the UK festival market is in decline, with some surprising results. After the wettest summer on records, the recession and with the unanticipated fall-out from the Olympics for the festival market, as well as some high profile cancellations including Sonisphere UK, WowFest, The Last Jubilee, The Big Chill and the Bloc Weekender, eFestivals decided to have a look at the figures, and see whether 2012 was as bad as many pundits are declaring. EFestivals say that whilst it is true that more festivals have been cancelled in 2012 than ever before, with 19 more festivals cancelled this year than the average (38 festivals a year) over the last five years, as a percentage of the overall number of festivals that were planned in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) the figures look slightly different over the last six years - with no significant increase in cancellations as a percentage of shows that actually took place.

More at http://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/12/120907c.shtml#oYp4jGdxC8ps4T0H.99