22 UK festivals awarded free AIF memberships and marketing support through Skiddle partnership

13 November 2025 - Press release

The UK’s independent festival scene has received a major boost as 22 grassroots festivals are announced as recipients of an industry-first support scheme from Skiddle and the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF).

The initiative, created to champion and sustain the UK’s thriving independent events ecosystem, will provide winners with a free one-year membership to the AIF, granting access to a vast support network of expert peers and services, alongside a bespoke marketing support package from Skiddle.

The package ncludes:

A featured listing in Skiddle’s Festival Guide, reaching millions of monthly visitors
Editorial and content support to showcase their events and lineups
Full website design and build, where necessary
Paid media support to reach new audiences
Dedicated account management from Skiddle’s festival experts

In addition, successful applicants will receive a free online event management course from Event Masters, plus a 30-minute brand consultation to help refine their festival’s positioning and audience strategy, and a free Songkick mailer to help boost promotion.

Some of the festivals selected to benefit from the joint scheme include Birmingham’s Caribbean Rocks, Chelmsford’s Street Eats ‘n’ Beats Festival, South London’s Priory Live, and Cheshire’s The Brit Fest (all 22 winners can be found listed at the bottom of this release).

“Initiatives like this are incredibly important. The partnership between Skiddle and AIF provides real, tangible support to independent festivals at a time when the sector needs it most. It gives voice, visibility, and opportunity to teams working hard behind the scenes, and we’d absolutely encourage others to get involved in future schemes.”
Anthony Prophet, Commercial Director at The Brit Fest

A partnership with purpose
Since its formation in 2008, the AIF has been the collective voice of the UK’s independent festivals, leading vital initiatives such as Safer Spaces at Festivals and offering training, advocacy, and legal support to help events thrive.

Including the 22 recipients of this bursary, AIF represents 171 festivals, with a total ticketed capacity of more than 1.35 million – now collectively larger than any of the major live music festival operators. Meanwhile, independent festivals outside of the AIF membership have an approximate combined capacity of 1.5 million, according to the association’s latest Festival Forecast, which was published in June.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Skiddle for recognising the value that AIF brings to independent festivals all year round, and opening up this new opportunity for so many to join our growing network.

“It’s a particularly important time for us as we create some new commercial opportunities for our members, and begin the hard work of trying to secure a music festival tax relief for grassroots festivals, all of which will be of enormous benefit to these 22 festivals we’re onboarding, thanks to Skiddle.”
John Rostron, CEO, AIF

Skiddle - one of the UK’s leading event discovery and ticketing platforms - has long championed independent promoters and festivals, helping audiences discover and support live music experiences of every size.

“Driven by our long-standing commitment to the independent festival sector and a passion for supporting the incredible experiences the UK has to offer, we’ve teamed up with the AIF to help strengthen the industry for years to come.”
Duncan King, Head of Festivals & Partnerships, Skiddle

Empowering the future of festivals
The bursary marks an important milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Skiddle and AIF, offering a lifeline of resources and visibility to festivals facing rising costs and competitive challenges.

By helping emerging and established festivals alike, the partnership reinforces the shared belief that independent music events are vital to the UK’s cultural and economic landscape, estimated to generate billions of pounds annually and support tens of thousands of jobs.

Festivals chosen to receive support:

Caribbean Rocks - Instagram, Facebook

Bexfest - Instagram, Facebook

Wentfest - Instagram, Facebook

Lazydays - Instagram, Facebook

Baltic Weekender - Instagram, Facebook

Valley Fest - Instagram, Facebook

Picnic and Pop - Instagram, Facebook

Priory Live - Instagram, Facebook

Street Eats 'n' Beats - Instagram, Facebook

Gemfest - Instagram, Facebook

The Brit Fest - Instagram, Facebook