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Almost half of the music-lovers who flocked to Preston over the weekend for the Radio 2 In The Park concerts travelled to the city from outside Lancashire, figures have revealed.
Business leaders believe the gig will have given a long-term boost to the local economy by drumming up a national profile for Preston as host of an event promoted by – and broadcast on – the most listened to radio station in the UK.
Early indications are that the approximately 70,000 tickets sold for the Moor Park event also translated into a more immediate bounce for city businesses as a result of the sudden influx of visitors.
Read more: If you enjoyed BBC Radio 2 in the Park Preston then these events should be next
Statistics shared with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) by Preston Business Improvement District (BID) show that footfall in Preston city centre was up seven percent on Saturday compared to the same day last year.
Overall, across the weekend, visitor numbers were five percent higher than the previous week.
BID Manager Mark Whittle says the figures would probably have been better still had it not been for the wet weather on rain-soaked Sunday.
He added: “Having spoken to several businesses already – brands and independents – their general feeling is that there was a noticeable lift across the weekend, both in terms of numbers of people about and general atmosphere.”
Forty-seven percent of ticket-holders for the event – which was a sell-out on the Saturday, when the bill was topped by Sting and also saw performances from Sugababes, Kim Wilde and Craig David – arrived in Preston from beyond Lancashire’s borders.
Those attendees now have the potential to become walking adverts for the city and county they have just visited – as well as likely having spent money on hotels and food and drink during their extended stay in the area.
Equally appealing from an economic point of view, according to Mark Whittle, are those Lancastrians who may not regularly make the trip to Preston, despite it being on their doorstep – but who now could become “repeat visitors” as a result of their experience at the concerts.
He said: “The word Preston has been spread far and wide, up and down the land – [both] this weekend and since the gigs were announced in the spring.
“Brand ‘Preston’ reached a worldwide audience through TV, radio and social media.
“Whilst the weekend, of course, was the main event, the positive effect that this national event has had on the city is far bigger – and shows Preston’s future capabilities.”
Preston is also now the only place to have hosted both the Radio 1 and Radio 2 ‘weekender’ events, having hosted the former station back in 2007.
Park restoration plan
After pretty much perfect weather for the crowds singing along to Saturday’s line-up of artists on the Radio 2 stage, Sunday saw the Lancashire weather gods wreaking their revenge.
The rain barely stopped beating down as a nonetheless enthusiastic audience braved the water from above – and the ever-increasing mud beneath their feet – to enjoy performances from Shed Seven, the Manic Street Preachers and headliners the Pet Shop Boys.
However, with the stage now having fallen silent, attention has turned to how to bring one of Preston’s premier parks back up to its usual standard from the boggy mess it unavoidably became.
Preston City Council says its “talented gardeners” and park rangers will work with the event organisers over the coming days and weeks to “assess” the Grade II*-listed attraction.
The park will be cordoned off temporarily into sections throughout what the authority describes as the “reinstatement process”, adding: “It is the aim of both the city council and the BBC to limit any damage to the park and [ensure] the duration of any disruption to regular park users is limited as much as possible.
“This is a contractual arrangement between the council and the BBC.”
The breakdown of the stalls, rides and stages will be managed by the event organisers, although it is understood some aspects of the work may be slightly delayed as a result of the wet ground. That process is expected to take approximately two weeks.
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