LEICESTER’S renowned programme of festivals and events is to be boosted with an additional £105,000 of council funding.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby has approved the permanent increase to the festivals budget, which will allow more community-led events to receive grant-funding from the council, while supporting popular events such as the Abbey Park Bonfire and the Eid celebrations on Victoria Park.
The new funding includes an extra £65,000 for the festivals and events grants programme, which attracted 68 detailed applications this year.
By increasing the grants programme’s annual budget from £165,000 to £230,000, and after a thorough process of shortlisting and evaluation, the council will be able to support 20 high-quality bids that met its funding criteria this year.
There will also be an extra £15,000 for the Abbey Park Bonfire to ensure that ticket prices for Leicester’s biggest and best fireworks display are maintained at 2024 levels, despite rising costs.
And with funding already in place for the city’s Diwali and Christmas celebrations, new funding of £25,000 has been earmarked to support the community-led Eid Prayers and Festival that attracts thousands of people to Victoria Park each year.
Assistant city mayor Cllr Vi Dempster said: “This additional funding means that we can look forward to even more high quality festivals and events in the city that people can enjoy free of charge or at an affordable price.
“All of our festivals and events are a celebration of our community – and it’s really important that they are accessible and welcoming to all.
“But they also help to build Leicester’s reputation as an attractive destination, drawing in both visitors and investors.
“With 20 festivals receiving council grants this year, alongside our established programme of popular events that includes the Riverside Festival and Light Up Leicester, I hope this investment will give the city a real boost.”
City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “Our internationally renowned festivals programme is not only extremely popular with local people, it also brings recognised economic benefits to the city.
“This additional investment will support a wider range of established, large-scale and community-led festivals and events that will attract many more visitors to our city – providing a boost for local businesses and supporting the vitality of the city centre.”
Picture caption: The annual Abbey Park fireworks display will benefit from increased funding this year