R&D Tax Relief for Festival Production Companies in 2026 

Festival organisers and production teams across the UK are under growing pressure to deliver more innovative, immersive, and technically advanced events each year. From new staging methods to improved lighting control, digital ticketing systems, crowd-flow technology, and more ambitious audio-visual builds, festivals now rely heavily on experimentation and technical development. Many of these activities qualify for R&D tax relief for festival production companies, yet organisers often miss the opportunity to claim because they assume R&D applies only to science or laboratory-based work. In reality, the UK’s R&D regime supports creative, technical, and engineering projects within live event production, which is why claiming R&D tax relief in the UK creative sector has become increasingly important.

This article explains the opportunities available, how the 2024–26 R&D rules apply to the creative sector, and how Apex Accountants helps festival teams submit strong, compliant claims.

What qualifies as R&D in festival production?

HMRC defines research and development as work that seeks an advance in science or technology and tackles technological uncertainty. The project must push beyond existing knowledge in the field. For festival producers, qualifying activities could include:

• Developing custom audio systems or immersive sound mapping to deliver high‑quality live music in challenging outdoor settings.
  
• Building bespoke digital platforms for ticketing or audience engagement that require complex software development.
  
• Prototyping modular staging, rigging, or lighting rigs that improve safety or reduce environmental impact.
  

HMRC makes clear that purely artistic, marketing, or aesthetic design alone does not count as R&D. The project must resolve technological uncertainties that competent professionals cannot easily overcome.

Latest scheme: merged R&D tax relief and ERIS

From 1 April 2024, the UK’s SME and RDEC schemes were replaced by a merged R&D expenditure credit. Under this scheme, companies can claim a taxable credit worth 20% of qualifying R&D expenditure. Loss‑making, R&D‑intensive SMEs (those spending at least 30% of total costs on R&D) may access enhanced R&D intensive support (ERIS), which offers an extra 86% deduction and a 14.5% payable credit on the surrenderable loss.

These reforms mean festival companies investing in technology, engineering or digital tools may qualify for significant festival R&D tax credits, while profitable companies can claim a straightforward 20% credit.

R&D activity must now be reported on an additional information form, and overseas subcontracted R&D is restricted. Accurate project documentation and advance notification are essential.

Eligible costs for festival projects

Qualifying R&D costs typically include:

• Staff salaries and employer NIC contributions for engineers, software developers and technical crew directly engaged in R&D.
  
• Consumables and materials used up during prototypes or testing.
  
• Software and cloud licences are required for development or digital platforms.
  
• Payments to UK subcontractors performing R&D under your control (overseas subcontracts are restricted).
  

These costs must be separated from general production budgets and supported by time sheets and technical documentation to satisfy HMRC’s requirements.

Why claim R&D tax credits? 

According to HMRC’s official Research and Development Tax Credits Statistics: September 2025 release, the following applies to the 2023–24 tax year:

• UK companies claimed £7.6 billion in R&D tax relief support.
  
• Total qualifying R&D expenditure was £46.1 billion.
  
• The number of R&D claims submitted fell by 26% compared with the previous year.
  
• The value of RDEC (Research & Development Expenditure Credit) claims increased by 36%, reaching £4.41 billion.
  
• SME scheme claims decreased in volume, but average SME claim values increased because of claims related to larger projects.

These trends highlight HMRC’s increasing focus on technical and engineering-led innovation, especially within the creative sector.

Case Study: interactive stage technology

A mid-sized UK music festival set out to create an interactive light-and-sound installation that changed in real time based on audience movement. To make this work, the production team had to experiment with several technical challenges.

The project involved:

• designing and testing custom motion sensors
  
• creating software algorithms that could translate movement into audio-visual effects
  
• building a modular platform capable of running the installation safely during live events
  
• carrying out multiple rounds of prototyping to resolve real-time processing delays
  

The engineering team spent around 1,200 hours developing the system and overcoming significant technical uncertainty, particularly around data capture and synchronisation.

When preparing the R&D claim, the festival separated the costs that related directly to R&D:

• £90,000 — staff time for engineers and software developers
  
• £15,000 — materials and consumables used during prototyping
  
• £10,000 — software licences required for development
  

These costs qualified under the merged R&D expenditure credit, giving the festival a 20% credit worth around £23,000 against its corporation tax bill.

If the festival had been loss-making and met the 30% R&D-intensity threshold, it could have claimed under the Enhanced R&D Intensive Support (ERIS) scheme, which offers:

• 86% additional deduction, and
  
• a 14.5% payable credit on surrenderable losses

Conclusion

As festival production becomes more technologically sophisticated, R&D tax relief for festival production companies can provide valuable funding for innovation. By understanding which projects qualify, tracking eligible costs, and adapting to the new merged scheme and ERIS rates, festival organisers can access festival R&D tax credits that fund new creative and technical development

Contact us today for guidance tailored to your festival’s reporting and  R&D tax relief for UK creative sector requirements.

FAQs: R&D tax relief for festival production

Which festival activities qualify as R&D?
Projects must aim for a scientific or technological advance, such as new audio systems, digital engagement platforms, or sustainable staging solutions. Artistic design alone does not qualify.

What are the new R&D tax relief rates?
For accounting periods starting on or after 1 April 2024, the merged scheme provides a 20% expenditure credit. R&D‑intensive SMEs can deduct 86% of costs and claim a 14.5% payable credit.

How should festival companies prepare?
Keep detailed records of technical tasks, staff time, and costs. Submit the additional information form and ensure subcontracted R&D occurs in the UK.