It’s been another piping hot year for the Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival, with figures revealing the event generated a fantastic boost for the local economy – to the tune of over £2 million.
An economic impact report found that Piping Live!, which ran from 10–18 August, welcomed over 33,000 music fans to Glasgow – 75% of whom were from outside the city, with 24% travelling from overseas, including New Zealand, Malaysia, USA and Canada.
The average overseas visitor to Piping Live! stayed in Glasgow for 5.6 days, staying in Scotland for 10.4 days and, in total, spending around £100 per day during their vacation.
The evaluation, undertaken by Tourism Resources Company, further highlights the importance of the annual piping festival and not only celebrates its role in Scotland’s cultural calendar, but its record for attracting visitors from across the world to Glasgow and Scotland itself.
In its 16th year Piping Live! saw 5,000 performers put on over 150 events throughout the city, with events including the fiercely contested Master Solo, International Quartet and Pipe Idol competitions. This year’s headliners included the iconic Dougie MacLean, Tryst, Stuart Liddell, Dàimh and Lúnasa, with many more topping the bill.
The National Piping Centre, renowned as the centre of excellence for piping music, is the home of Piping Live!. The festival receives support from public bodies including Glasgow Life and Event Scotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate – each playing an essential role in the continuing strength of traditional music in Scotland’s cultural scene.
Piping Live! festival director Roddy MacLeod and Finlay MacDonald promoting the 2019 event (Photo: Chris James)
Roddy MacLeod, Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival organiser, said: “This was an incredibly busy summer for Glasgow’s events calendar – particularly during the week of Piping Live! – but, yet again, we’re thrilled with these results.
“Year on year, Piping Live! is attracting the very best musical talent, as well as crowds, from across the world to Scotland – boosting tourism and Glasgow’s economy. In our 16th year, we saw the festival’s audience numbers grow, showing a real appetite for live traditional music on a global scale. We can’t wait to see what our 17th year brings in 2020.”
Billy Garrett, Director of Sport and Events at Glasgow Life said: “Piping Live! is a mainstay of our summer Cultural Events programme attracting people from all over the world to come and visit Glasgow. No-one who experiences the diverse programme and extraordinary talent performing will ever forget the sights and sounds of Piping Live! We’ll look forward to another fantastic edition in 2020!”
Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival returns 8–16 August 2020.
For more information on the festival, visit www.pipinglive.co.uk
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