12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Festivals running the risk of closing as call goes out for more funding from Fáilte Ireland
And, Cllr Thomas Walsh claimed that Fáilte Ireland were 'asleep at the wheel' as it has only given Sligo County Council a 'paltry €26,000' to run local festivals in the past five years.
Cllr Walsh, who is involved with the Ballygawley Music Festival and Sligo Live, said festivals were hanging by a thread.
He was speaking amid fears for the independent festival scene, after Sea Sessions in Bundoran announced it isn't going ahead this year, while a liquidator was appointed to the company behind the Wild Roots Festival in Sligo last year and is no more.
Meanwhile, Barry O'Neill organiser of the hugely popular Rory Gallagher Festival in Ballyshanon has expressed fears for its future.
Cllr Walsh said: 'There was a small bit of support for events over Covid but then inflation kicked in post Covid, and nothing was put in place for live festival events.
'So, costs have skyrocketed, and it is something I have been highlighting for years and the whole events thing is hanging on by a thread.
'This is because of huge increased costs, and I know from Ballygawley Music Festival in July and Sligo Summer Festival who were hoping to run a second weekend on the August Bank Holiday Weekend, but it was not possible because it would cost them an extra €70,000 to run a second weekend.
'Sligo Live and Cairde and our own festival are very successful, but our costs in Ballygawley are up on €120,000 which includes insurance, operational costs, site set up costs, energy costs and the cost of the acts have gone up because of the knock- on effects of the increase in the price of fuel for travel and their insurance has gone up too.
'All of that is passed on to the festivals and the organisers are forced to pass that on to the price of the ticket which is regrettable but necessary,' he said.
Cllr Walsh added that nine smaller festivals collapsed in 2024, and the UK has the same problem where 60 folded last year.
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He added that another factor impacting was the huge crowds attending headline acts in Croke Park, the Aviva or other major venues.
'These massive artists sell out venues, but they are portraying a false economy because people are saving their money for the big festivals and not supporting the smaller ones.'
Cllr Walsh was critical of Fáilte Ireland.
'Its budget from the State last year was €140m and all they give Sligo County Council for events in the county is a mere €26,000. That would not pay for a marquee, insurance etc
'Ballygawley gets €4,000 from Fáilte Ireland for an event that costs €120,000, so it would not cover even the toilet facilities.'
'But they do good work in terms of capital spending and Queen Maeve Square would not be there only for Failte Ireland and Strandhill Surf Centre of Excellence, so they are doing well on the capital side.
'But they are not supporting live is a three night festival and 5,000 people were there last year.
Cllr Walsh added that Irish Public Bodies IPB who supply insurance and public liability for all Council offices and State facilities, could open it up to live events and it would take the cost away from the operator.
'I believe the State should take over the insurance via IPB which is their own insurance policy.'
'Fáilte Ireland should be made increase the funding to local authorities and I am talking about events of 500 and over and less than 5,000.
'€26,000 is a kick in the teeth for Sligo festivals and €100,000 per local authority would not be out of the way and that is the reality of it.
'It would just get their heads above water and festivals are in survival mode all over the country.
Cllr Walsh added that culture and arts were the backbone of our economy.
'There is a huge knock- on benefit for Sligo from all these festivals so they should be supported.
'Fáilte Ireland is the vehicle for tourism, and they talk about supporting visitor attractions and festivals but really they are not supporting festivals.
'Unless there is an injection of cash into these festivals more of them are going to collapse.'
