First-year festivals are always a higher risk to insure because organisers generally have no event-planning track record. So unless organisers can show they have experience arranging other festivals, they’ll be harder to insure. When you combine things like food, alcohol and overnight camping, things get a little more complicated, because now organisers are not just responsible for festival-goers as they come through the gates, they become responsible for those festival-goers for the period during which they’re on the festival grounds, and that’s a bigger risk exposure for insurers.

In general terms, when it comes to festival insurance policies, there are three main products to consider: the first is Public Liability which is your primary coverage. The other is your Event Cancellation and Non-Appearance by an artist cover.

Most venues will require you to have Public Liability insurance. This coverage protects you, the festival organiser, against claims of bodily injury and property damage arising out of your festival operations. Even if it’s not a requirement of the venue, you may still be held liable for any claims that arise as a result of your festival activities.