The Festival Fade? It’s Not a Bougie Trend, but a Tragedy Unfolding in Real Time

Travel Talk: The Real Impact of Tourism
The Festival Fade? It’s Not a Bougie Trend, but a Tragedy Unfolding in Real Time

Festivals fuel local pride, tourism, and economic momentum—but many are on the brink, and we've lost a few already. This blog dives into what’s really going on behind the scenes, what’s at stake, and why saving our festivals might be one of the most important moves we make.

Let’s talk about something that most people don’t realise is slipping through our fingers—until it’s gone.

Festivals.

The cultural kind. The quirky kind. The food kind. The “everyone from town shows up and volunteers for 60 hours in a week just to pull it off” kind. These events aren’t just lineups and lawn chairs. They’re community fuel. Economic spark plugs. Tourism magnets. And, increasingly, they’re in trouble.

And I’m not talking about a couple of rain-outs or a year with soft ticket sales. I’m talking about long-standing, legacy festivals cancelling entirely. Volunteer bases collapsing. Cost structures becoming unsustainable. Funding falling short. And communities scrambling to fill a gap that can’t just be plugged with another downtown market or seasonal social media campaign.

We’re losing more than events—we’re losing momentum.

When a festival fades, it’s not just the performers or the vendors who miss out. It’s the hotels that don’t get booked. The restaurants that lose that weekend boost. The artisans who count on those sales to bridge slow seasons. The students who miss out on summer work. The cultural programming that gets diluted. And the neighbourhood energy that gets a little quieter.

It’s a domino effect. And it’s already started.

But this didn’t come out of nowhere.

There’s no single villain in this story—more like a convergence of forces.

Rising costs.
Insurance premiums have ballooned. Security and safety requirements have increased. Infrastructure rentals have gone up. And that’s before you even try to book talent or printing or porta-potties.

Volunteer burnout.
Let’s be honest: most festivals run on the backs of a small, exhausted, deeply committed few. But post-pandemic, burnout is real. People are stretched thin. And the same five volunteers can’t carry the weight of a 5,000-person weekend forever.

Funding gaps.
Many festivals rely on a precarious mix of grants, sponsorships, and small business support. But funding programs don’t always align with event timelines. Sponsorship dollars are tighter. And the sheer admin load of applying for and reporting on grants? It’s enough to drain even the most enthusiastic organiser.

Audience shifts.
Post-pandemic behaviour is different. People are more last-minute. More selective. Sometimes more hesitant. And for festivals that depend on strong advance ticket sales to manage cash flow? That’s a big gamble.

So here we are—watching some of our most beloved events scale back, pause, or disappear entirely. And if we don’t treat this moment seriously, we’ll look back and wonder how we let it all fade.

Here’s why festivals matter more than ever.

They bring people together—for real, face-to-face, screen-free connection.
They showcase what’s special about a place, beyond its post office and gas station.
They create jobs, support businesses, and bring life to main streets.
They attract visitors who would never have found your region otherwise.
They give people a reason to stay. To return. To belong.

And they do all of this while building local pride—something money can’t buy but every town needs.

Festivals are infrastructure. They’re cultural infrastructure. Economic infrastructure. Social infrastructure. And we need to treat them like it.

So what do we do about it?

We start by admitting that festivals aren’t fluff—they’re foundational.
We stop asking a handful of volunteers to pull off professional-level events without the budget or the backup.
We push for funding programs that are flexible, predictable, and designed for the realities on the ground.
We build digital infrastructure that helps festivals market smarter, sell tickets faster, and activate partnerships with ease. #Roamlii
We rally DMOs, tourism boards, municipalities, and economic developers to put festivals in the centre of strategy—not the margins.

Because if we want strong communities, we need strong festivals. Full stop.

At Roamlii, we’re paying close attention to this.

We’re building tools to help festivals and events show up online. To power ticketing and discovery. To reduce the digital admin load. To connect with travellers. To amplify the work that’s already happening—instead of adding more to everyone’s plate.

Because this matters.
Not just to us, but to the places we love, the businesses we support, and the culture we want to keep alive.

If you’ve ever danced at a street fair, sung along at a folk fest, wandered through a lantern-lit market, or just felt the pulse of a place come alive for a weekend—you already know.

Festivals aren’t just events.
They’re catalysts.

And right now, they need our help.

So let’s make sure they don’t fade quietly.
Let’s re-invest. Reimagine. And rally behind the sector that brings us together.

Because the loss of a festival isn’t just a missed weekend—it’s a missed opportunity.

#GetRoaming and let’s build something worth celebrating—again and again.

Yours in tourism, innovation and startups,

Founder & CEO
Roamlii