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INTERNATIONAL | NEWS

EUROPEAN Joe Rush
NEWS
Gideon Gottfried
gideon@pollstar.com
UNITED KINGDOM
Glasgow Outdoor Tax
May Cause TRNSMT
Festival To Leave
Geoff Ellis of DF Concerts has
warned Glasgow City Council that
he’d consider leaving the city with
his flagship event TRNSMT Festival,
should the politicians push through
a new tax on outdoor entertainment.
According to the Scottish Herald,
Glasgow City Council leaders voted
to introduce a new concert ticket
tax in order to balance the toll tak-
en by big events on city parks.
“It is of concern to me, and
should be to everyone involved in
tourism and culture in Glasgow,
that promoters and other event or-
ganizers will now be encouraged to
start events in other cities knowing
that our ability to attract strong
artistic talent to Glasgow is compro-
mised by hundreds of thousands of
pounds per event. GLASTONBURY 2019 visitors will walk along a full-fledged pier, designed by artist Joe Rush.
“I now have to decide whether to
lead or follow in that respect and it
is the business challenge that I now between supporting our green more attractive rates, according Glastonbury-On-Sea
face.” spaces and using parks to host large to Ellis, who told the Herald: “Stir- Visitors of Glastonbury 2019 will
Ellis added: “My objection to this events.” ling and Dundee are very keen for be able to walk along a full-fledged
tax is that of a fully fledged busi- Glasgow City Council currently us to make use of their assets and pier, which includes all the attrac-
ness member of Glasgow’s culture faces the challenge of closing a the rental prices they’re offering tions one would expect on a UK pier
and tourism community. £40.9 million ($54 million) spend- us are far less than Glasgow. If as well as some one wouldn’t expect
“I have some difficult decisions ing gap. you’re an event organizer you’re at all.
to make about the outdoor events Pollstar reached out to Mark going to go to these places ahead of Victorian pleasure piers are
that I run in Glasgow, which last Mackie of Regular Music, promoter Glasgow. famous landmarks to be found all
year saw over a quarter of a million of Summer Nights at the Bandstand “As long as they put this tax in along the UK’s coast. In 2019, Lon-
people attend, many of whom came in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park, place, Glasgow’s going to suffer don artist Joe Rush is going to build
from outside of the city, generating which already sold out all 26,000 and it will be to the benefit of other a pier on the site of the UK’s most
an economic impact in excess of tickets for the 2019 edition. cities. It’s well-meaning, but ill- popular festival – far from any kind
£10 million.” Mackie said he hadn’t been conceived and short sighted of the of water, though that may change
According to the report, the new approached by the council yet, but council to introduce a tax of £2.50 during Glastonbury, which has been
tax would add up to £2.50 to the expected to be in time for next on anyone attending an event with flooded by rain in the past.
price of tickets for outdoor events, year’s Summer Nights at the Band- a commercial aspect in the city’s Rush has been creating sculp-
such as TRNSMT Festival, which stand edition. parks, including free events across tures and art installations at
takes place on Glasgow Green in the Glasgow City Council justifies the the city. Glastonbury for many years, after
city center. new tax with the environmental im- “Substantial environmental meeting festival founder Michael
A council spokesperson told the pact large scale events have on the maintenance sums are already paid Eavis for the first time in 1985. Two
Herald: “The feedback we have city’s parks and the costs associated by promoters and event organizers years later, he built a Stonehenge
received from the public is that with cleaning them up again. to use greenfield spaces in Glasgow replica made out of cars on site.
they welcome large scale events in Cleanup costs are usually part of as part of other operational costs “I’ve always liked to work on a
the city and appreciate the cultural the hire fee promoters pay the city including policing, medical services, large scale. When I was very young
vibrancy that they bring. to rent out a certain area, which is cleaning, stewarding, welfare, stag- I saw a sculpture that somebody
“The public has also told us how why Mackie suggested raising the ing and power. had made from a Volkswagen Käfer,
much they value our green spaces hire fees instead of imposing a tax “I think the council aren’t as and made it into a spider. I was so
and how they would like to see a on tickets. Given the current rental aware of the knock-on impact as impressed by the scale of it,” he told
more direct connection between the fees, which were relatively low, they should be. This tax will mean Pollstar.
events we host and income being there was room to increase them, there are fewer events in Glasgow, Rush just unveiled his latest
invested back into our parks. he said. and fewer people visiting the city, show in London, March 22, a real
“The environmental levy is about But even in terms of rental which will hit nightclubs, bars, train being eaten by giant ants.
striking an appropriate balance prices, surrounding cities offered shops, restaurants and hotels.” Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis

APRIL 8, 2019 | 51