Organisers have hailed the 50th anniversary of Bristol Harbour Festival ‘an overwhelming success’ with around 250,000 people enjoying the free event over three days. Each day saw thousands of people take in the nine performance areas featuring familiar favourites and new attractions, filling one and a half miles of the city with music, vessels, food markets, circus acts, live music and performers.
From daredevil stunts at the Circus Playground with Cirque Bijou and professional flyboarder James Prestwood taking to the water and the skies to local band Doreen Doreen wowing a crowd of 5,000 at the Amphitheatre to close the festival, it was a glorious weekend for all the family in every sense of the word. Ebb & Flow, an inclusive programme showcasing community collaborations and emerging and established creative voices also featured throughout the festival.
The popularity of the event saw a boost in footfall in the city centre, with many restaurants, shops and other leisure experiences reporting high demand. Society Cafe on Narrow Quay reported its busiest Saturday ever in its five-year history.
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The cafe’s general manager Dan Turner said: “What a treat it was to see Bristol Harbourside come alive during the recent Bristol Harbour Festival. To be in the middle of it all and soak up the incredible atmosphere was a huge privilege!”
James Rogers, owner of the Sky View Wheel in Millennium Square, described the Saturday of the festival was “absolutely non-stop” and saw an 85% uplift in footfall in comparison to a regular Saturday.
Adam Flint, General Manager at The Bristol hotel, said: “It was great to see the festival back after a two year absence, and it brought into focus once again how iconic the harbourside is to Bristol. We were blessed with glorious weather and we really enjoyed being central to the buzzing festival atmosphere.
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“We adapted our style of service to suit the festival vibe, so our bar and kitchen were naturally very busy throughout. The team enjoyed being part of it and our guests expressed their delight at all the activities on their doorstep.”
Councillor Ellie King, Cabinet Lead for Public Health, Communities and Bristol One City, said: “What a weekend. It was fantastic to see so many people from communities throughout our city come together to celebrate Bristol’s flagship event.
“From the sensational on-the-water activity to the nine performance areas wowing crowds throughout the entirety of the festival site, it truly was a weekend to remember.
“Following the tough few years that the pandemic has caused for our hospitality and leisure sectors, it has been fantastic to see the economic boost that comes with staging events of this nature. The positive feedback from traders in the food, hotel, experience and leisure sectors throughout our city centre is wonderful to hear and we’re thrilled that the return of the Bristol Harbour Festival has had such a positive impact on the places and spaces that make our city centre thrive as it does.”
Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID, said: “We have had lots of positive feedback from businesses, with a busy weekend experienced by many. Footfall increased between 30% and 40% across the city centre during the Harbour Festival weekend.
“Encouraging visitors into the city is an important part of the recovery programme for businesses so this is fantastic to see. Congratulations to the team behind Bristol Harbour Festival.”
The Bristol Harbour Festival is produced by Bristol City Council, with support from Arts Council England.
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