Beach festival attracts big crowds and returns profit for council

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Bumper crowds of 25,000 flocked to Irvine Beach Park for last summer's Making Waves Festival in July, a report to Tuesday’s cabinet meeting heard.And the council made a reasonable profit from the event which was held on the Harbourside in July.The RAF Red Arrows, Del Amitri, Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Twin Atlantic were among the main performers.As well as the concerts, a range of free activities drew crowds to the waterfront event which was organised by North Ayrshire Council, Event Scotland, the Scottish Maritime Museum and local music promoters Freckfest.The world-renowned RAF Red Arrows took to the sky for a spectacular aerobatic display, having last performed above Irvine in 1993 during a BBC Radio 1 Roadshow.Council attraction, the Scottish Maritime Museum, welcomed thousands for a fantastic Ayrshire Makers Market along with free entry to a Sea Monsters exhibition and family fun fair.Fairground rides, paddle-boarding and activity stalls proved a hit for people in all age ranges, while cafes and bars were busy.The economic impact report on the event shows that over 25,000 people turned out to view the Red Arrows display, enjoy the music and/or visit the Scottish Maritime Museum and other attractions along the Harbourside.North Ayrshire Council had a gross spend of £1.1 million, net spend of £700,000, plus an additional spend of £300,000, leaving them with a £100,000 profit.Seven full-time equivalent (FTE) posts were created during the event and ratings for the festival were overwhelmingly positive, particularly relating to the staff and volunteers and the live music.Some of the comments left on social media included: “Massive credit to North Ayrshire Council.