FAQs
UK Festival Awards UPDATES FOR 2026
The UK Festival Awards has updated our programme for 2026.
For this year’s edition we have introduced a number of new categories, a more refined entry criteria, enhanced transparency within the judging process and the exciting news of a day conference dedicated to 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.
We’ve done this 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.
UK Festival Awards UPDATES FOR 2026
The UK Festival Awards has updated our programme for 2026.
For this year’s edition we have introduced a number of new categories, a more refined entry criteria, enhanced transparency within the judging process and the exciting news of a day conference dedicated to 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.
We’ve done this 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.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes. Several categories have been altered to better represent the breadth and diversity of festivals across the UK.
Non-Music Festival of the Year has 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 is now Brand Experience of the Year. This reflects the many creative and immersive ways that brands and festivals collaborate to deliver meaningful audience experiences.
And finally, the previous Headline Performance category has opened up to become Festival Performance of the Year. A stand-out act may often not be a headliner. It can often be an up-and-comer performing to their biggest audience yet or someone who creates those festival moments. This change allows for broader and more inclusive recognition of an unforgettable festival performances across all stages and line-ups.
Four new categories have also been introduced for 2026. Festival innovators in Accessibility & Inclusion are being recognised alongside those building and reimagining our green field stages through the Festival Infrastructure award. Those presenting exceptional food and drink offerings to their guests will be celebrated with the Culinary Experience award, and we are also introducing a Charity Initiative of the Year award.
Entry criteria across all categories have been 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.
Yes, you can enter as many categories as you like for free, provided your entry fits the criteria.
No, entries are free!
There is.
For 2026 categories are being grouped into themed blocks so that judges are 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, recognised figures and musicians. And just like last year, all judges are being publicly announced.
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 is represented in the final results.
Yes, we’re bringing back the longlist!
Once entries close, a longlist announcement will recognise the festivals which have applied before judges curate the official shortlist ahead of the public vote.
Throughout the application period, festivals entering the awards will also be highlighted across UK Festival Awards social channels.
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 talent across the industry, while recognising those festivals who consistently set the benchmark.
This rule will apply retrospectively from 2025 onwards.
A New Industry Conference for 2026.
Alongside the awards ceremony, the UK Festival Awards team will also host the Festival Focus conference in 2026. This is a day event that will feature engaging industry panels, talks and state of the industry discussions. Festival Focus will be a hub for the whole 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.
UK Festival Awards Individual Ticket £160
Festival Focus Ticket £40
UK Festival Awards & Festival Focus Bundle Ticket £180
Both the UK Festival Awards and Festival Focus will be at Diecast Manchester on Tuesday 1 December 2026.
Address: 51 Ducie Street Manchester, M1 2JQ
Rail: Piccadilly (7 mins walk), Victoria (20 mins walk, 7 mins drive), Oxford Road (19 mins walk, 8 mins drive)
Tram: Piccadilly (7 mins walk), Piccadilly Gardens (10 mins walk)
Car/Taxi: There are several pay & display car parks close by which are located at 61 Ducie Street and 30 Tariff Street. Taxi drop off and pick up available outside venue gates on Ducie Street.
Airport: Manchester Airport (20 mins drive, 25 mins train to Piccadilly + 7 mins walk) Direct trains run regularly from Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly station. From Piccadilly, DIECAST is approximately a 7 minute walk. Taxis and rideshares from Manchester Airport to DIECAST typically take around 20 minutes, depending on traffic. Drop off and pick up is available outside the venue gates on Ducie Street.
Come as your best self, no black tie needed just bring yourself and your festival spirit!
There are a range of accommodation options within walking distance of Diecast, from luxury stays to budget-friendly hotels and serviced apartments. We’ve listed just a few options below.
Dakota Hotel Manchester – 3 minute walk
Premier Inn Manchester City Hotel – 5 minute walk
DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester – 6 minute walk
Stay City Apartments Manchester Picadilly – 6 minute walk
Holiday Inn Manchester – 8 minute walk
Manchester Marriot Hotel Piccadilly – 14 minute walk
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes. Several categories have been altered to better represent the breadth and diversity of festivals across the UK.
Non-Music Festival of the Year has 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 is now Brand Experience of the Year. This reflects the many creative and immersive ways that brands and festivals collaborate to deliver meaningful audience experiences.
And finally, the previous Headline Performance category has opened up to become Festival Performance of the Year. A stand-out act may often not be a headliner. It can often be an up-and-comer performing to their biggest audience yet or someone who creates those festival moments. This change allows for broader and more inclusive recognition of an unforgettable festival performances across all stages and line-ups.
Four new categories have also been introduced for 2026. Festival innovators in Accessibility & Inclusion are being recognised alongside those building and reimagining our green field stages through the Festival Infrastructure award. Those presenting exceptional food and drink offerings to their guests will be celebrated with the Culinary Experience award, and we are also introducing a Charity Initiative of the Year award.
Entry criteria across all categories have been 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.
Yes, you can enter as many categories as you like for free, provided your entry fits the criteria.
No, entries are free!
There is.
For 2026 categories are being grouped into themed blocks so that judges are 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, recognised figures and musicians. And just like last year, all judges are being publicly announced.
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 is represented in the final results.
Yes, we’re bringing back the longlist!
Once entries close, a longlist announcement will recognise the festivals which have applied before judges curate the official shortlist ahead of the public vote.
Throughout the application period, festivals entering the awards will also be highlighted across UK Festival Awards social channels.
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 talent across the industry, while recognising those festivals who consistently set the benchmark.
This rule will apply retrospectively from 2025 onwards.
A New Industry Conference for 2026.
Alongside the awards ceremony, the UK Festival Awards team will also host the Festival Focus conference in 2026. This is a day event that will feature engaging industry panels, talks and state of the industry discussions. Festival Focus will be a hub for the whole 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.
UK Festival Awards Individual Ticket £160
Festival Focus Ticket £40
UK Festival Awards & Festival Focus Bundle Ticket £180
Both the UK Festival Awards and Festival Focus will be at Diecast Manchester on Tuesday 1 December 2026.
Address: 51 Ducie Street Manchester, M1 2JQ
Rail: Piccadilly (7 mins walk), Victoria (20 mins walk, 7 mins drive), Oxford Road (19 mins walk, 8 mins drive)
Tram: Piccadilly (7 mins walk), Piccadilly Gardens (10 mins walk)
Car/Taxi: There are several pay & display car parks close by which are located at 61 Ducie Street and 30 Tariff Street. Taxi drop off and pick up available outside venue gates on Ducie Street.
Airport: Manchester Airport (20 mins drive, 25 mins train to Piccadilly + 7 mins walk) Direct trains run regularly from Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly station. From Piccadilly, DIECAST is approximately a 7 minute walk. Taxis and rideshares from Manchester Airport to DIECAST typically take around 20 minutes, depending on traffic. Drop off and pick up is available outside the venue gates on Ducie Street.
Come as your best self, no black tie needed just bring yourself and your festival spirit!
There are a range of accommodation options within walking distance of Diecast, from luxury stays to budget-friendly hotels and serviced apartments. We’ve listed just a few options below.
Dakota Hotel Manchester – 3 minute walk
Premier Inn Manchester City Hotel – 5 minute walk
DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester – 6 minute walk
Stay City Apartments Manchester Picadilly – 6 minute walk
Holiday Inn Manchester – 8 minute walk
Manchester Marriot Hotel Piccadilly – 14 minute walk
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