Edinburgh councillors have moved forward with plans to run a new series of events at the Ross Bandstand.
If approved, the plans would see £264,000 spent per year to help local groups host events at the venue, in order to make using the space easier.
Right now, hosting an event at the bandstand often has a starting cost of £10,000, with costs set to increase slightly due to new UK Government requirements that event organisers have plans in place for if terror attacks occur.
Labour councillor Val Walker said when introducing the motion late last month: “We want to see a new series of performances in place for the Ross Bandstand to help revitalise Princes Street Gardens.
“These events would be truly free to the residents of Edinburgh.”
The council conducted a survey of local residents to get opinions on how the bandstand should be used.
A vast majority of those surveyed said that they enjoyed attending events at the bandstand, and over half supported the suggestion that new, major events should take place there in May and September.
However, slightly over 50% of respondents also said that they did not want to see money spent on refurbishing the venue.
And, 67% of respondents said they wanted a third-party organisation to coordinate events at the space.
The council report notes that the bandstand, given its lack of modern amenities, inherently requires acts performing there to bring large amounts of kit with them, driving up the cost of hosting an event there.
It also notes that the bandstand faces some barriers to its use by acts, including the long-running closure of King’s Stables Road limiting access to the space and its nature as an outdoor venue, facing closure when inclement weather hits.
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
