2009 Festival achieves economic impact of £35.7m and over 230,000 visitors

Manchester International Festival 2009 has been hailed as a success, with an initial report showing it attracted more than 230,000 local, national and international visitors, recruited over 300 volunteers and encouraged an increased level of local participation.

A full evaluation will be available in mid-October, but initial figures show the overall economic impact of the festival was worth £35.7m, which shows impressive growth from 2007’s figure of £28.8m.

The 2009 festival of original, new work created by major international artists also helped strengthen Manchester’s reputation as a leading cultural city, according to an initial performance report to Manchester City Council’s Executive Committee.

Local arts organisations were also more involved this year, with 12 local co-productions compared to two in 2007 and an overall 172 performances, involving 331 volunteers. And 231,455 people attended the festival, which was above the target of 210,000 and a 10% increase the inaugural festival figures.

More than a third of the 09 Festival programme was free, helping ensure that anyone, regardless of background or income, could enjoy the Manchester International Festival experience.

Independent analysis also shows that the festival, with the Pavillion in Albert Square as the vibrant hub, has established itself in the upper tier of European city arts festivals ranking alongside those in Edinburgh, Salzburg and Vienna.

The Festival courted national and international media coverage with praise from titles like Le Monde and the New York Times, which said: “Summer festivals often define predictability. Britain’s Manchester International Festival upsets the status quo by exclusively staging original work — and only letting in the very coolest of cool kids.”

As well as engaging with varied audiences, the Festival also worked with myriad arts organisations and schools through MIF Creative, with one theatre group creating a piece especially for children with complex learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders.


Headline figures for MIF 2009 include:

• 89% of overall tickets sold, compared to 78% in 2007
• 1,289 international visitors attended, compared to 860 in 2007
• 5,500 people attended the free Halle/Elbow live screening in Castlefield
• 12,500 children and families came to the Great Indoors weekend at the Town Hall
• 25,000 people watched Turner-prize winning Jeremy Deller’s Procession along Deansgate
• 673 educational sessions were held to help develop creative potential in local residents with 2,124 participants including local groups and schools
• 331 volunteers recruited
• 89,000 people attended the Pavillion throughout the two-week period to meet, eat, drink, listen to DJs and watch live performances
• £19m worth of press coverage generated

Leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese said: “The Manchester International Festival was even more ambitious, original and ground-breaking than the first and built on the achievements of the inaugural festival while far exceeding its targets.

“This was a tremendous success and an exceptional Festival that attracted critical acclaim. We congratulate the Festival team on delivering an event that raised the profile of the city and made a significant economic and social contribution and look forward to another exciting Festival in 2011.”