Outdoor Events + Festivals
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Sector at a Glance
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Outdoor events and festivals of all types are woven into the UK’s cultural fabric
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Globally renowned (rotation) Glastonbury, Notting Hill Carnival, Edinburgh International Festival – to events of all sizes spread across the UK
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Over 141m attendees of outdoor events and festivals in the UK per year
Sector Overview

Outdoor Events + Festivals

Outdoor events and festivals of all types are woven into the UK’s cultural fabric. With a world-leading reputation for experience, delivery and safety, these events welcome millions of people each year. Offering a diverse blend of entertainment and content, shows come in all shapes and sizes and see professional expertise working in tandem with a proudly independent creative element.

The sector sees a diverse mix of multi-national corporates and independent promoters working alongside a host of professional event operators. Often coordinated by technical production and event management specialists, the industry sees temporary infrastructure and structure providers deliver alongside commercial agencies, creative organisations and a host of freelance producers. Safety is a pivotal part of outdoor event delivery and sees close collaboration between authorities, crowd management providers, medical providers and safety consultants. More than 141m attend outdoor events and festivals in the UK demonstrating the strength of this industry sector. With a diverse mix of event types, attendees attend for entertainment, socialising, experience and escapism. A strong sense of discovery, innovation and community lie at the very heart of the Outdoor Events and Festivals sector. From the globally renowned Glastonbury and Notting Hill Carnival to events of all sizes spread across the UK, these shows are often dedicated to culture, entertainment, arts, food, comedy, leisure and lifestyle, offering something for everyone.

Sector News
Teamwork Arts returns to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo with all-female Bhangra performance and vibrant rhythms
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is delighted to welcome the return of Teamwork Arts India to showcase the rich tapestry of Indian culture with a Rajasthani Bagpiper, The Bhangra Queens, and the Bollywood Ensemble that they bring to life through performance in the 2024 Show, Journeys.
Scotland hosts global cultural leaders for festival hub of international exchange
The Momentum Delegate Programme kicks off in Edinburgh today, Wednesday 7 August, acting as a central hub from the world-leading Festival City to connect key cultural players from across the world with the wider Scottish and international cultural sector.
The Loop Launches Drug Checking Online Training Courses
Drug checking service The Loop has unveiled a series of online training courses aimed at delivering more in-depth knowledge of the drug market, drug use, and harm reduction. The upcoming courses cover a range of topics, including the latest trends in the UK drug market, responses to drug use at music festivals and outdoor events, and deep dives into substances such as MDMA and ketamine. Specific courses also focus on drink spiking, drug-facilitated sexual assault, harm reduction theories and chemsex.
Festivals look towards sustainability code of practice
UK – Creative climate non-profit Julie’s Bicycle, host of festival industry project Vision: 2025, is collaborating with 10 local authorities and more than 60 festivals to test how a Green Events Code of Practice (GECoP) can be adopted nationally.
Latest Sector Research
Sector Events Calendar
October 24
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The Event Summit
Fostering collaboration between sports, music and cultural events for inspiration and growth Rick will be speaking/ moderating We should use the app research tool for some pre event questions perhaps- or a survey All PoE Steering Group members are invited to attend FOC if they are event rights holders, or at a 33% discount if they are not
October 24
23-24
The Showman’s Show
The Showman’s Show was launched in 1984 and is firmly established as the UK’s original and most comprehensive exhibition of products and services for the outdoor, festival and special event world. The 2024 edition of the Show will return to Newbury Showground from 23rd – 24th October. Celebrating 40 years of bringing the industry together; the Show will see hundreds of suppliers and manufacturers exhibiting the latest products and services available to the event industry. It is an unrivalled market place to discover the latest innovations, meet a diverse range of new suppliers and network with colleagues in a fun and relaxed environment. The Show is FREE to attend, so if you supply the event industry or organise outdoor and special events, this Show is for you.
October 24
31
The 4th annual Sustainable Events Show
The Sustainable Events Show was the first show of its kind. It is a one-day show that creates the platform to build relations with likeminded parties. It is an exhibition that delivers enlightenment and education through it’s jam-packed seminars offering takeaway solutions from ground-zero experts (no theory-only peeps with a book or course to sell!), moderated by Maeve Campbell (Channel 4 News, The Guardian, and The Evening Standard), and Calum Di Lieto (Flock Together Media, Conference & Incentive travel magazine). and discovery of 80 environmentally-friendly event venues, event services suppliers, and event technology companies that practice sustainability. It will address the greatest modern-era challenge that members of the event industry have ever faced – how to bring together event buyers and events suppliers that both respectively need and practice event sustainability. The Sustainable Events Show is an oasis of calm for those event buyers looking for solutions to their needs […]
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Research

The event industry’s reliance on data to help it plan for the future, increase its resilience, manage risk and justify investment decisions, is growing year on year.

The engagement and access that The Power of Events (UK) has across all 7 sectors of the industry, enables data gathering and in-depth research projects to be delivered confidently and consistently. This will be primarily facilitated through the new insight app to be launched on 28th Sep 2023.

By bringing the industry and university partners together, research projects will be designed to deliver real benefits to the industry in terms of trend analysis, insights and performance improvements.

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