‘Festival of Brexit’ label puts visitors off Unboxed project, says organiser

Theresa May launched the idea as prime minister in 2018, but this year a report said the project had been an ‘irresponsible use of public money’. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

The head of the £120m Unboxed, an ongoing project aimed at celebrating UK creativity, has said the scheme has been dogged by being nicknamed the “Festival of Brexit” after it attracted a fraction of the target visitor numbers.

Ministers had hoped that the festival would attract 66 million people, but with just over two more months to go, four of the events have so far only drawn 238,000 visitors, according to official figures.