GLASGOW, Scotland (CelebrityAccess) — A new local tax on concert tickets has organizers of the TRNSMT Festival eyeing the door.
Festival director Geoff Ellis told the Evening Times that the new tax had taken the festival’s relationship with the city to the “Cliff’s edge.”
“Quite simply we are now accelerating towards the cliff edge in terms of outdoor events in this city,” Ellis told the newspaper.
“It is of concern to me, and should be to everyone involved in tourism and culture in Glasgow, that promoters and other event organizers will now be encouraged to start events in other cities knowing that our ability to attract strong artistic talent to Glasgow is compromised by hundreds of thousands of pounds per-event.
“I now have to decide whether to lead or follow in that respect and it is the business challenge that I now face,” he added.
Glasgow’s City Council’s proposed new tax would see £2.50 added to the price of a ticket for outdoor events on the city’s green. City officials cited the significant expense and strain on local infrastructure that major music events impose.
As well, outdoor festivals and concerts make the city’s parks, such as Glasgow Green, where TRNSMT takes place, unavailable for use by the local residents for an extended period of time.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council told the Evening Times: “The feedback we have received from the public is that they welcome large scale events in the city and appreciate the cultural vibrancy that they bring.
“The public has also told us how much they value our green spaces and how they would like to see a more direct connection between the events we host and income being invested back into our parks.”
