AIF Launches ‘First Festival Week 2026,’ Championing Indie Festivals
The campaign celebrates the ‘first festivals’ of artists like Olivia Dean, Lewis Capaldi
The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), a not for profit trade association representing the interests of 170 UK music festivals, is launching a collective campaign to celebrate the ‘first festivals’ of the UK’s artists, fans, and festival-goers.
Why it matters:
The campaign highlights the UK independent festival sector as a key breeding ground for musical talent.
It aims to demonstrate the “immense scale” of the British sector, as per the media release.
The details:
The campaign will run from Friday May 15 to Thursday May 21, leading into BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival, which launches on May 22.
Driven by more than 200 festivals of every size and genre across the UK, the campaign will run across TV, radio, social media and online.
It will feature footage that showcases the early stages and formative festival performances of artists that have since graduated to headliner status, such as Olivia Dean, Lewis Capaldi, Lola Young, CMAT and more.
Festival goers are also encouraged to share photos and memories of their first festival experiences.
Fans should tag @aif\_uk on Instagram, and use #firstfestivalweek2026 where relevant.
Wider movement:
The campaign follows the launch of here.live, a discovery platform built by the AIF showcasing over 200 independent music festivals in the UK.
What they said:
John Rostron, AIF CEO: “So many artists dream of headlining festivals, but the route to becoming a festival headliner often comes from years of playing across outdoor stages, in and out of tents and through multi-venue festivals. Those first festival performances are so special for artists and audiences alike, and it’s a joy for us all when someone we have been supporting makes their way up to a bigger stage. First Festival Week is a way for us to share and celebrate all those stories, as well as our own experiences of heading to festivals for the first time, and picking out or discovering which will be the first festivals we head to this year.”
👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block
This story was written with information from the AIF’s press release.
We covered it because it’s news of a new campaign championing the UK independent festival sector.
