A major music festival that brought Robbie Williams and Kings of Leon to Newcastle’s Town Moor is expected to have given the city’s economy a multi-million pound boost.
Thousands of fans flocked to the Come Together festival last week for two huge nights of music, which also featured the likes of Andrew Cushin, Perrie Edwards, and the Kaiser Chiefs.
And city bosses are now backing calls for the celebration to return next year.
City centre business improvement district company NE1 Ltd is still assessing the full economic impact of the festival, but said it would “love to welcome it and other events of this scale back to the city”.
Ben Whitfield, NE1’s director of communications, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “What amazing nights! Newcastle knows how to put on an exceptional show, and it pulled out all the stops for Come Together last week.
“One of Newcastle’s most iconic green spaces provided an amazing backdrop for the event, and we would love to welcome it and other events of this scale back to the city. We are still awaiting final figures to quantify the precise economic impact the events had on the city, but we know from previous events that a show of this scale boosts the local economy to the tune of several million pounds, as well as putting the city on the map nationally and internationally as a fabulous host venue, and cementing Newcastle’s position as a leading city for events.”
The Come Together festival was announced late last year and had been due to take place in early June, but was postponed.
Its success comes as council bosses bid to bolster Newcastle’s reputation in the national and international music scene.
Newcastle has already hosted the MOBO awards this year and will soon be staging the Mercury Prize ceremony, while leaders are also keen to capitalise on Tyneside singer-songwriter Sam Fender’s stardom.
Cllr Abdul Samad, cabinet member for culture, music and sport at Newcastle City Council, said: “Newcastle has a proud reputation of putting on large events and we are delighted that the Come Together Festival was such a success.
“Tens of thousands of people have enjoyed two incredible nights of music and entertainment that will create memories that last a lifetime. We understand why people want to see it return every single year.
“With such large events, we will see a boost to the local economy and this has created millions of pounds for our city’s hospitality, leisure and retail sectors. It is the kind of positive impact that cannot be ignored.
“With the MOBOs and Mercury Prize choosing Newcastle as their host city, the world is standing up and taking notice of our cultural offer and I couldn’t be prouder.”
