England’s cultural organisations unprepared to deal with extreme heat, survey finds

Fewer than 1% of cultural organisations surveyed in England feel very prepared for future extreme heat, according to new research by Arts Council England (ACE).  

A survey by the arm’s-length body has found that almost all (96%) of the 296 respondents were affected by this summer’s heatwaves, citing staff wellbeing, falling visitor numbers and financial losses among their main concerns. 

The Met Office has provisionally identified the summer of 2026 as the hottest on record in the UK. Published this week, the arts council survey asked about the effects of extreme heat between May and July 2026 on arts organisations, museums and libraries. 

Nearly half of those surveyed (47%) said they had experienced significant or severe impacts during the prolonged hot weather, and 81% said the impact of this year’s heatwaves had been worse than those in 2025.  

The heatwave had a noticeable impact on footfall over the summer. Two-thirds (67%) of respondents saw reduced attendance, while almost a third (31%) of respondents said they had been forced to cancel events or activities.  

Almost a quarter (24%) reported partially closing their premises and 10% closed entirely. A further 22% changed or reduced their opening hours. Almost a fifth (19%) experienced visitors leaving earlier than usual, while 28% reported equipment or technical issues. 

Respondents also highlighted the effects of the heat on people at their venues, with 45% saying indoor spaces had become too hot to occupy and 43% reporting an impact on visitor wellbeing. 

Of the 169 organisations that provided temperature data, nine reported indoor temperatures of at least 41°C, while the highest indoor temperature reported was 48°C, according to the arts council. 

Staff, freelancers and volunteers were among those most affected, with 70% of organisations reporting concerns about their welfare during the heatwaves.  

Preparedness 

The findings raise questions about the sector’s ability to cope with future extreme heat. None of the respondents described their organisation as very prepared to deal with extreme heat, while 31% said they were mostly unprepared or not prepared at all.  

Relatively few organisations had formal measures in place to prepare for extreme temperatures. Just 13% of respondents said they’d had a heatwave policy in place before this summer’s heatwaves, and 14% had included extreme heat in their risk registers.  

Just under a quarter (24%) had heatwave guidance for staff. Many organisations said they relied on basic cooling measures rather than formal heatwave planning. 

Before this year’s heatwaves, 64% of organisations already had fans excluding air conditioning, and 28% had air conditioning 

During summer, 71% of respondents used temporary fans and 55% increased ventilation, for example by opening windows. Nearly half (49%) closed existing blinds or curtains to reduce heat, while 40% increased staff or performer rest breaks. 

Only 11% reported using permanent air conditioning as a measure to adapt during the heatwaves, compared with 20% that used temporary air conditioning. Around 12% relocated collections or equipment considered vulnerable to heat. 

Financial pressures 

The financial impact of the heatwave is still being quantified. Although 64% of respondents said they believed the heatwaves had affected their income, 28% said it was too early to estimate the impact.  

Of those able to estimate the impact, more than three-quarters (77%) reported losses. One in 10 believed these would ultimately exceed £10,000, while fewer than 1% expected to benefit financially from the heat. 

The most severe impacts were reported in southern England. However, ACE said the sample sizes for individual artistic and cultural disciplines were too small to draw conclusions about differences between them. 

Although organisations are already taking steps to manage extreme temperatures, the report called for stronger long-term planning and resilience across the cultural sector. 

The survey also found gaps in how cultural organisations communicated their heatwave response to audiences. A third of respondents (33%) said they had not communicated with visitors or participants about the heatwaves. Meanwhile 36% notified audiences of operational changes, 27% shared heat safety advice and 23% informed visitors about cooling opportunities, such as air-conditioned spaces. 

Nicola Saunders, the arts council’s director of environmental responsibility and innovation, said: “We sincerely thank the creative and cultural sector for its committed response to this survey. These insights are incredibly important and essential to inform our work and make sure we are supporting the sector to be resilient as the challenges of extreme weather and other climate change impacts, escalate.” 

ACE said the findings would help inform its work to support the sector in building resilience to extreme weather and other effects of climate change.