Given the increasing cost of living, which affects everyone, festivals included, the cuts end up being to the programming. It means that we have to make do with fewer artists, who unfortunately are often the emerging ones. A festival has to sell tickets, so it keeps its headliners but does not keep the lesser-known artists. That does nothing for the new generation.
We now have the same challenge at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. It seems that, in certain regions, festivals are being abandoned in favour of other areas of the economy.