Music festival HebCelt brought in £4.4 million for the local economy, new figures have revealed.
The festival returned on July 13 with record-breaking crowds of over 18,000 descending on the Isle of Lewis.
Organisers were forced to cancel the festival in 2020 due to Covid and opted for a virtual-hybrid version in 2021.
HebCelt is a celebration of traditional Scottish music heavily influenced by Gaelic language and culture, at its heartland in the Outer Hebrides.
Research conducted after the 2022 festival found that many festivalgoers – one in five – were visiting the Outer Hebrides for the first time.
Visitors spent £1,104, on average, while on the islands providing a boost to the local economy.
This is compared to visitors spending just £600 at the 2018 festival.
‘Shows just how important festivals like ours are.’
HebCelt was due to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2021 but due to Covid, a full-scale celebration was not possible, making the 2022 edition more special.
Over 30 acts performed at the festival during the summer, including Texas, Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish and Tide Lines.
An economic impact report also found the festival supported 62 jobs, further boosting the tourism industry across the islands.
Festival director Graham Maccallum told The Scotsman: “We’re always humbled by our audience’s passion and unwavering support, so to know that record numbers chose to come to join us this summer for our 25th-anniversary celebrations means an awful lot.
“It’s extremely promising to see the far-reaching economic impact HebCelt has had on Lewis and the Hebrides.
“It’s so important to the festival that we make a positive contribution to the place we call home.
“To see the event once again act as a catalyst for people to visit this special part of Scotland is just fantastic.
“Coupled with the boost to nearby businesses and our success in promoting Celtic music and culture on an international stage, this really shows just how important festivals like ours are.”
The HebCelt festival will return to the Outer Hebrides on July 12, 2023.
Conversation