AFTRSUN says goodbye on 7–8 August under the motto "The Final Ride." Organisers have officially announced that 2026 will be the festival's final edition.
Their reasoning is particularly relevant for the European festival market: they say organising an independent festival now presents a bigger challenge than ever before.
The problem raises a wider industry question. Alongside ticket revenue, sponsorship, hospitality, catering, merchandising and digital content sales are becoming increasingly important.
Summary
According to organisers, enthusiasm isn't what ran out: running independent festivals has become harder than ever before.
