Latest news with #festivals
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Barrie sees record-setting tourism boom with $113M in visitor spending
Barrie's tourism industry had a record-breaking year in 2024, bringing in nearly $113 million from overnight visitors, a massive leap that officials say is largely thanks to the city's sporting events and key festivals. According to the latest report from Barrie Tourism, more than 631,000 hotel guests visited the city through last year, and millions were reached through digital marketing efforts. 'It was a $51 million increase from 2023,' noted Kathleen Trainor, Tourism Barrie's executive director. 'We tracked 49 sporting events and we were able to track all the festival events because we have some new software that allows us to do some of that data, so it was a combination of more people coming, occupancies up, hotel room costs, revenues are up.' The numbers reveal that of the total economic activity generated, roughly $70 million came from sports-related tourism alone, including tournaments, competitions, and the continued draw of the Barrie Colts, which represented a $43 million share of the total. Signature events, like Kempenfest and the Barrie Air Show, brought in $31 million combined.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
2025 Whoop-Up Days to see extra day of festivities added
Programming for Whoop-Up Days has been announced, and Lethbridge's largest summer festival just got even larger with an extra day added.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Parks are for all, not just paying festivalgoers
Emma Warren, who is quoted in your article (What are public parks for? Inside the debate sparked by London festival row, 24 May), could not be more wrong when she says the Protect Brockwell Park campaign is about 'a small number of people trying to limit a larger number of people's access to space'. Parks are open to everyone, all year round, except during the weeks leading up to and during such festivals. For centuries, local parks have preserved the sanity of parents with young children, allowed children to meet each other and create play with the simplest of means, and permitted elderly people a break from the loneliness of being stuck at home. Parks need preserving because they are egalitarian and provide a meeting space that helps build communities. Very few object to short festivals that treat a park and the local community with respect. What we are seeing now is events companies preying on cash-strapped local authorities to get concert venues on the cheap, make a quick buck from large, prolonged events and move on, often leaving the park with extensive damage that takes months to repair. There is very little transparency as to what changes hands, how much money is actually made, what it is used for and how much the damage costs to fix. Years of savage local authority cutbacks have left parks with skeleton staffing, inadequate to produce the regeneration that these events necessitate. The effects can be cumulative and permanent. The chief executive of the Association of Independent Festivals says the local authority is 'a representation of the local community'. Well, he would say that, wouldn't he? Not many local people feel so PaceForest Hill, London The imposition of loud music on others is as unacceptable in public parks as it is from a phone on the bus or a speaker in the garden. The elementary social decency of not inflicting stressful noise on neighbours and fellow travellers is rapidly disintegrating. And public parks belong to all, not just the minority who want to attend pop KeelingWelling, Kent Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Festival season: How to keep costs down this summer at Brockwell, Glastonbury and more
As people continue to look for ways to save money, festival season can make what should be an exciting time somewhat daunting. Over a third of festival-goers have had to dip into their savings to pay for tickets this year, new data has revealed, as costs for both luxuries and essentials continues to rise. According to exclusive data shared with PA from Credit Karma, which was taken from an Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults this month, 35 per cent of those attending festivals have used savings to pay for tickets. Akansha Nath, general manager at smart money platform Credit Karma, says that festivals can be expensive for a number of reasons, including the price of tickets. Credit Karma's research also found that 61 per cent of festival-goers say that increasing ticket prices have gone too far. Expenses such as transport, food and drink, and outfits are also mounting up, with 76 per cent of people saying these costs are all increasing. Nath added: "There are also social factors too, as people are keen to avoid 'FOMO' – fear of missing out. Three in 10 festival-goers feel pressure to attend festivals purely because their friends are going – particularly Gen Zs." Founder of ticket resale platform Twickets, Richard Davies adds that festivals have 'become big businesses' and costs behind the scenes reflect that. 'From artist fees and production to infrastructure, security and licensing – everything is now more expensive,' he says. 'Luckily there are festivals for all types of budgets, so fans can choose a one-day event or a festival that's four days with accommodation, depending on how much they want to spend.' Davies and Nath both share a number of ways that festival-goers can cut back on expenses as festival season approaches: 'Volunteering at festivals is a great way to get your ticket for free, in exchange for working a few shifts,' Nath says. 'Sites like My Cause UK and Oxfam can help you find available volunteer opportunities.' 'You can also sometimes get free meals and camping upgrades from volunteering,' Davies adds. 'Therefore, it's worth asking the organisers what the options are.' Buy and resell tickets Davies says that buying or reselling tickets can also help. 'If you missed out on the original sale for your favourite festival, set up alerts on the Twickets app to be notified as soon as any resale tickets become available,' he says. 'You can also bargain with the seller if the ticket is labelled 'accepting offers', to secure a fair price.' Pay in instalments 'Another way to cut costs is by using instalment-based payment schemes or credit that can split the cost of tickets across several months – whether that's using credit cards, Buy Now, Pay Later credit, or the festival's own payment instalment service,' Nath says. 'However, remember not to overcommit or take on more debt than you can afford to pay back.' Shop in charity shops 'Shopping in charity shops and from second-hand sites like Vinted is a great way to get festival outfits on a budget, and you can also take advantage of these to sell your outfit after the occasion,' Nath adds. Go prepared 'People should also ensure they are prepared – festival food and drink is notoriously expensive so pack a cooler box full of long-life food to keep you full throughout the weekend,' she says. 'Coffee vans will often give out free hot water if you need to mix it into your porridge or instant noodles.' Charge for free Davies adds that you can charge your devices for free, by bringing a pre-charged power bank or a solar-powered charger to the festival. When your phone runs out of battery, often the only option is to use phone charging stalls at festivals which can eat into your budget. Bringing your own charging bank saves money and some festivals even offer free eco-charging points if you bring your own lead.' Prioritise main events 'To make the most of your money and to avoid 'festival regret', prioritise events you will get the most out of, rather than giving in to pressure from friends. Many festivals offer single-day tickets so you can choose to just attend the day your favourite artists are on for a reduced cost.' 'Its always worth downloading the festival app when you arrive as some events offer discounts or freebies, surprise giveaways or share food stall deals,' Davies says. 'Keep your notifications on and check daily for the chance to save money. The festival's official app should also have useful resources like maps and timetables, to ensure you can plan your day and not miss out on the artists you really want to see.' 'With preparation and planning, there's no reason your festival fun should be limited this summer,' Nath says. 'Just remember to prioritise the events you most want to go to, set a careful budget and don't commit to more than you can afford.'
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Toronto boosting security funding for festivals by $2.1M
Toronto boosting security funding for festivals by $2.1M News Duration 2:03 The City of Toronto is boosting security funding for festivals by $2.1 million. Mayor Olivia Chow made the announcement at a festival safety summit attended by organizers of some of Toronto's biggest events. CBC's Dale Manucdoc has the story.
