Is your festival going to be a washout?
Festival season is already underway with events ranging from small affairs with just a handful of visitors to the large festivals like Boardmasters and Download festivals. However, over the years, we have seen many festivals cancelled, postponed or disrupted by extreme weather. Some festival organisers & suppliers who were not insured have gone out of business due to the financial losses and costs caused by the cancellation. Many festival organisers overlook their festival insurance, which can lead to great financial and reputational damage.
5 large events which have been cancelled due to extreme weather conditions.
1. Boardmasters – 2019
In 2019, the surf and music festival in Newquay, Cornwall, was cancelled the night before guests were due to arrive. The festival made the difficult decision to cancel at the last minute due to severe weather forecasts posing a great risk to public safety. Many festival goers had travelled down the day before in anticipation of the long queues and busy trains, only to find themselves all left stranded in the town centre.
Refunds were issued, and the reputation was damaged following this cancellation. The festival has made a full recovery – thanks to their strong festival insurance policy – and has hosted many events since.
2. London Winter Run – 2020
In early 2020, Storm Ciara swept across Britain, bringing severe winds and dangerous weather conditions that caused widespread disruption across the country. As a result, the London Winter Run was cancelled after organisers determined it would be unsafe for runners, volunteers, crew members, and spectators to take part. The decision was made to prioritise the safety of everyone involved, with the extreme conditions posing significant risks throughout the event route.
3. Concerts and film screenings – 1952
The Great Smog of London in 1952, caused by a dangerous combination of weather conditions and severe air pollution, brought much of the city to a standstill and forced numerous indoor and outdoor events to be cancelled. The thick blanket of smog was so dense that it even seeped into buildings, leaving concert-goers unable to see the stage during performances.
4. Grand Prix at Silverstone – 2018
Severe rainfall led to the race being cancelled in 2018, with unsafe conditions making it impossible for the event to go ahead. While cancelling an event is never an easy decision for organisers, the safety and well-being of participants, volunteers, and spectators must always come first.
5. Pink Floyd Show – Houston 1994
On April 5, 1994, during Pink Floyd’s Division Bell tour, the band played in Houston, Texas, at Rice Stadium. Torrential rain caused the show to end early after a gazebo roof over the band collapsed, and water threatened the electrical equipment.
Thankfully, most events are not cancelled due to temperature, although footfall & spend can be badly impacted; the real threats to summer events are strong winds, heavy rain and storms. Last year, we had numerous claims for cancelled and disrupted events because the weather actually became a risk to life, with winds threatening to blow down tents and precipitation levels making the ground conditions dangerous. Festival and event insurance helped mitigate the damage to these organisers, covering costs for refunds, and other expenses.
Duncan Sutcliffe, director, Mann Broadbent, added: “If you are an event organiser, supplier or stallholder, you can insure your costs and revenue against the risk of disruption, postponement or cancellation due to extreme weather with a solid festival and event insurance policy. It is even possible to insure your revenue against reduced footfall or spend due to the weather keeping the punters away.”
If your event is vulnerable to the unpredictable British weather, then please contact us for advice on cancellation insurance and risk management. You may be pleasantly surprised at how relatively little it can cost for festival and event insurance.
