RSS Press releases

Dumfries and Galloway Council has approved a new events strategy for the region, the Dumfries and Galloway Events Strategy 2023-2026.

The new Strategy, like its predecessor, which covered the period 2018-2022, seeks to position Dumfries and Galloway as the best region in rural Scotland in which to plan, manage, deliver and visit great festivals and events.

The Council will provide funding of £275,000 per year for the next four years to underpin the Strategy’s funding programmes, which include the Major Events Fund and the Community Events Fund. The seven Signature Events of the region will continue to be supported financially; Big Burns Supper, the Arts Festival, Spring Fling, Wigtown Book Festival, the Scottish Rally, the Tour of Britain, and World Championship Ice Hockey tournaments at the Ice Bowl, Dumfries.

The Council is also committed to hosting the World Para-cycling Road World Championships in the region as part of 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023 and making festivals and events as affordable as possible for local people to attend. The Council is to commission the UK’s first Greener Events Toolkit to help event organisers plan and deliver their projects in a more environmentally aware manner.

Councillor Archie Dryburgh, Chair of the Council’s Communities Committee said:

“The Council has been unwavering in its support for the region’s celebrated portfolio of festivals and events for more two decades now. The new Strategy will reinforce the quality and profile of many great festivals and events in the region and contribute to economic recovery in our region throughout this decade. The events sector is one of the most resilient parts of our economy and the Council’s investment in events secures millions of pounds of spending in the region.”

Councillor John Campbell, the Vice-Chair of the Communities Committee said:

“The adoption of this Strategy is an empowering act; to empower events organisers to make the most of their vision and skills and to empower communities to become more self-determining. The Council is committed to supporting community approaches to regeneration and access to sports and culture, and our events strategies have always been integral to this work.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said:

“Few industries have the impact events do with their economic and social benefits widely recognised. They support jobs both directly within the events industry itself as well as in wider sectors including hospitality and tourism, while also helping build a sense of pride within communities and contributing towards our health and wellbeing. I’m delighted Dumfries and Galloway Council have approved the new events strategy that builds on the excellent work of the last strategy that has seen the region develop an exciting portfolio of events that showcases both the region and Scotland as the perfect stage for events.”

Full details of the Community Events Fund 2022/23 and Major Events Fund 2022/23 are available on the Council’s website - Support for festivals and events - Dumfries and Galloway Council (dumgal.gov.uk) . The funding programmes will open for applications on Monday 17 October with both having deadlines of Friday 25 November 2022.