Big Weekend gave £7million boost to Luton economy amid Ticket information for Luton away

Big Weekend gave £7million boost to Luton economy amid
Ticket information for Luton away

An evaluation report of the event identified a number of social and economic benefits, which ranged from uplifting

the town’s image and community pride, to creating a number of opportunities and skills for local people.

87% of attendees across the weekend left with a positive impression of Luton, including more than half of attendees

who said their perception of Luton improved having attended the event.

The music festival generated an exponential return on investment with several millions generated for the town from

a £500,000 investment which included a government grant of £350,000 and Luton Rising sponsorship of

£150,000. There was no direct expenditure from Luton Council budgets.

Income was generated from the thousands who visited the town and stayed overnight in accommodation, as well as

those attendees living locally and nearby who spent money in the town over the weekend.

In addition to the financial benefits that the event brought, the report demonstrates that residents felt proud of their

town and many visitors remarked on how their perceptions of Luton improved significantly after experiencing

Luton over the weekend.

It was also a fantastic experience for the 284 Luton Rising Festival Maker volunteers, who welcomed the skills

gained and felt pride and connected to their community after seeing such a positive reaction from event goers.

 

The legacy left after the event can also be seen by the impact of the outreach programme led by the BBC which gave

students valuable career development opportunities. And a special live BBC Radio 1 Life Hacks show aired which

drew second-highest audience figures since the show began.

Looking ahead, there are plans to continue this engagement, with Luton’s young community with a BBC Careers

Day in Luton planned early next year.

Councillor James Taylor, portfolio holder for Inclusive Growth at Luton Council said, “BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend

was phenomenal and it’s still hard to believe over 3 million viewers had their eyes on Stockwood Park. Not only did

it create great excitement for those attending, but it also generated a significant amount for the local economy.

“We are really thrilled to see all the positive feedback left by those who may have come with preconceived ideas but

left with a new, improved image of the town that we all know and love.

“The feedback from volunteers was also very positive, as many were happy for the opportunity to showcase Luton in

a positive light.

“Feedback has shown a real interest from businesses and the community to host large music events in the future to create more opportunities for our local people and businesses.

“Importantly, the event’s success shows Luton can manage fantastic major events of this kind safely and

successfully, so we are excited to talk to commercial partners to build on the legacy of the weekend.”

Some highlights of the report include:

• Four in ten people came from the areas surrounding Luton, and a quarter came from elsewhere in England.

• An estimated £1.5 million from overnight stays in Luton’s accommodation sector.

• Just over 25,000 local residents also attended the event spending an estimated £1.6M in Luton (outside the event).

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