The UK Festival Awards are updating its programme for 2026.

For this year’s edition, we will be introducing new categories, a more refined entry criteria, enhanced transparency within the judging process and the exciting news of a daytime conference for the festival industry.

These updates have come through the many conversations we’ve had with festivals, partners, professionals and representatives across the sector to ensure the awards can better represent the industry and celebrate what you do.

The aim is to ensure the awards continue to reflect the evolving landscape of the UK festival community while recognising the creativity, resilience and innovation that define the industry.

Category Updates

Several categories have been altered to better represent the breadth and diversity of festivals across the UK.

Non-Music Festival of the Year will become Arts & Culture Festival of the Year, recognising the growing range of cultural, literary and creative events that aren’t just about the music.

For 2026 Brand Activation of the Year will now be Brand Experience of the Year. This reflects the many creative and immersive ways that brands and festivals collaborate to deliver meaningful audience experiences.

The Headline Performance category will now be Festival Performance of the Year. A stand-out act may often not be a headliner, but an up-and-comer performing to their biggest audience yet or someone who creates those festival moments. This change allows for a broader and more inclusive recognition of standout festival performances across all stages and line-ups.

Three new categories are also being introduced for 2026. Festival innovators in Accessibility & Inclusion will be recognised alongside those building and reimagining our green field stages through the Festival Infrastructure Award. We will also be introducing a Charity Initiative of the Year award.

Refined Application Criteria

Entry criteria across all categories will be updated to better align with the judging process. Each category will include clearer guidance on how submissions are assessed, ensuring applicants understand what judges are looking for and how entries are evaluated. This information will be available on the UK Festival Awards website.

Applications will also include additional contextual questions designed to give judges a clearer picture of each festival’s achievements. This includes questions such as when a festival was established, whether a festival is independently owned, how you cater to your audience, how it integrates with its local community and more.

The goal of this is to create a process that feels clearer, more transparent and more reflective of the different challenges and successes experienced across festivals of all sizes.

Judging Process

For 2026, categories will be grouped into themed blocks and judges will be aligned with the areas where they bring expertise while maintaining the lowest potential for conflicts of interest. For example, those who specialise in festival booking or production will judge their appropriate categories.

Judges will continue to be drawn from across the wider festival ecosystem, including representatives from industry associations, accessibility and sustainability partners, charities, production specialists, music journalists and recognised industry figures.

The awards will continue to operate under the established 70/30 voting model. This combines industry expertise with a public vote to ensure both professional insight and audience recognition are represented in the final results.

Increased Transparency

To help festivals better understand the process, the UK Festival Awards website will introduce a new FAQ resource, providing clear guidance on entry submissions, judging criteria and voting.

Throughout the application period, festivals entering the awards will also be highlighted across UK Festival Awards social channels.

Once entries close, a longlist announcement will recognise the festivals which have applied before judges curate the official shortlist ahead of the public vote.

Introducing the UK Festival Awards Hall of Fame

In recognition of sustained excellence within the industry, the UK Festival Awards will introduce a Hall of Fame initiative for 2026.

If a festival wins the same category for three consecutive years, it will enter the Hall of Fame for the following year. During that year, the festival will step aside from that category while receiving special recognition for its achievement.

The aim is to ensure the awards continue to celebrate new winners and emerging achievements across the industry, while recognising those festivals that consistently set the benchmark.

This rule will apply retrospectively from 2025 onwards.

Festival Focus – A New Industry Conference

Alongside the awards ceremony, the UK Festival Awards team will also host the Festival Focus conference in 2026. This is a daytime event that will feature industry panels, engrossing talks and state of the industry discussions. It will be a hub for the festival industry, allowing for positive networking opportunities and acts as a space for discussion and insight for the festival community.

Further details on the conference programme will be announced in the coming months.