With the news that Sundown Festival and Black Deer Festival were no longer taking place in 2025, alongside a report that over 72 UK music festivals did not take place this year, is there now a growing concern that the UK music festival calendar might not be quite as busy in years to come?
While Glastonbury, TRNSMT and Leeds and Reading continue to survive despite a cost of living crisis and inflation to boot, some of even the most lucrative of festivals have fallen foul of poor ticket sales, a disastrous year causing damage to good will, or just simply it’s unaffordable to run anymore.
We’ve taken a look at 13 music festivals (some of which this writer has attended and shed tears for too) that once were cornerstones of the UK festival calendar, only to fade away into distant memories - or in one case, deep regrets.
Did you attend any of these festivals yourself? Let us know by leaving a comment below, but without further ado, here’s 13 UK music festivals “in memoriam."

13. The Big Chill
The Big Chill Festival, founded in 1994 by Pete Lawrence and Katrina Larkin, began as an ambient music event and evolved into a prominent UK festival by the late 1990s. Initially held at venues like the Union Chapel in Islington and later the Black Mountains in Wales, the festival developed its unique blend of music, art, food, and alternative therapy. However, in 2009, The Big Chill went into liquidation, and its brand was purchased by Festival Republic. After being taken over by the larger company, Katrina Larkin continued to contribute creatively until 2010. Despite efforts to revive the festival, the 2012 edition was canceled, primarily due to logistical issues surrounding artist availability and its clash with the Olympics. In 2013, Festival Republic confirmed that there were no plans for a return, marking the end of The Big Chill Festival. | Getty Images