Visitors to Scarborough Open Air Theatre (OAT) in 2024 generated an estimated £8.5 million for the town's economy.
Scarborough Open Air Theatre (OAT) brought an estimated economic benefit of £8.5m million to the local economy in 2024, according to new figures.
This figure takes into account spending by visitors on accommodation, food and drink, transport, and other goods and services and is based on an analysis of postcode data from ticket purchases and insights into people’s spending habits from STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor).
North Yorkshire Council's head of venues, Stuart Clark, says the data provides a range of insights:
The OAT hosted 18 concerts in 2024, attracting a record-breaking 116,606 attendees. Analysis of ticket sales data revealed that visitors travelled from all over the UK and beyond to attend the concerts. For instance, a sell-out performance by the band Korn in August saw only 20% of tickets sold to residents with a "YO" postcode.
Visitors who travelled further were more likely to stay overnight in Scarborough, boosting revenue for local hotels, B&Bs, and guest houses. For example, 100% of visitors who travelled over 4 hours to a concert stayed overnight, as did 70% of visitors who travelled 3-4 hours. This suggests that the OAT is attracting visitors who are staying in the town and contributing to the local economy through their spending.
The report highlights that the OAT's success has had a positive impact on various local businesses:
- Hotels, B&Bs, and guest houses reported being fully booked as soon as concert dates were announced. Some establishments even implemented a minimum two-night stay policy for concert nights.
- Pubs saw a significant rise in customer numbers on show nights.
- Taxis operating from the dedicated pick-up area were in high demand.
- Bus services like the Shoreline Sun Cruisers experienced increased usage after shows.
- Local eateries and takeaways were extremely busy.
- Local supermarkets benefited from the OAT purchasing all artist riders from them.
- A local catering company was employed to provide food for artists and crews on show days.
Councillor Janet Jefferson, President of the Sky Chamber of Trade and Commerce, commended the OAT team for their role in boosting the town's economy, highlighting the positive impact on local businesses and residents.
A report to local councillors concluded that:
"The Open Air Theatre is a respected music venue, delivering world class acts, through the partnership with Cuffe and Taylor (as part of the live nation family). The contribution to the local region is significant and continuing to grow with increasing attendances year on year."
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