HebCelt Festival delivers vital £12 million economic boost to Western Isles over three years
The Hebridean Celtic Festival has delivered a £12 million boost over the past three years to the Western Isles economy according to organisers.
They say analysis highlights last year’s event was worth £4.1 million to the local
community alone - an increase of £600,000 on the previous year, and safeguarding
76 tourism related jobs and providing work for artists, musicians and technical staff.
Since its return to full-scale operations after lockdown, the economic benefit has
more than doubled that from pre-pandemic events in 2018 (£2m) and 2019 (£1.8m).
The figures come as they await a critical funding decision from Creative Scotland.
The Hebridean Celtic Festival Trust, the charitable organisation behind the event,
has submitted a bid to the organisation for multi-year funding.
If successful, this support would secure the festival’s future but the wait comes amid challenging times for the UK’s festival sector.
According to the Association of Independent Music Festivals, 72 UK-based festivals
were postponed, cancelled, or shut down in 2024 - a sharp increase from the previous
year - bringing the total closures since 2019 to 204.
Creative Scotland, whose annual funding has been essential to the festival’s success, is expected to announce its funding allocations this week.
HebCelt’s Festival operations co-ordinator, Carol Ferguson, said: “Given the economic
headwinds and uncertainty we faced, having so many people turn out again for the
islands’ largest music festival has been a triumph - especially considering how many
long-established festivals have not survived.
“It was heartening to see crowds enjoying acts like Del Amitri, James, and Skippinnish, while local businesses, including bars, hotels, shops, cafes, and restaurants, were bustling with activity.
“Visitors filled the ferries, and families enjoyed a vibrant, community-driven arts
programme that celebrated Gaelic heritage.
“But HebCelt isn’t immune to the kind of challenges that have impacted other festivals.
“Rising costs, economic pressures on disposable incomes, and funding uncertainties
have made organising the festival increasingly difficult. That’s why we welcomed
Creative Scotland’s progressive move to allow multi-year funding applications. Securing
such support would be transformative for us and the regional economy. All we can
do is hope and wait.”
HebCelt Festival economic boost to Western Isles
26 January 2025