Friday 9 April 2010

Cash shortage hits Glasgow city festivals



Two of Glasgow's main summer events will not take place this year due to a shortage of funding.

The BBC Proms in the Park - scheduled for September in Glasgow Green - will not go ahead in the city after problems in obtaining sponsorship.

BBC Scotland understands organisers are in discussions to take the event to an indoor venue in Dundee.

It follows news last month that the annual River Festival would not go ahead due to "budget constraints".

BBC Proms in the Park events have been sponsored in recent years by National Savings and Investments.

That deal has ended, however, meaning organisers of events outside London - in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast - are having to rework plans.

A spokesman for BBC Scotland said: "We've decided to hold this year's Last Night of the Proms concert at a different venue which we'll be announcing shortly."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said the authority would be "concerned" if the event was lost.

He said: "We have provided substantial financial and logistical support since BBC Proms in the Park first came to the city, helping to ensure that the event was free to the people of Glasgow.

"Clearly, we would be disappointed if this important fixture in Glasgow's cultural calendar is to be lost to us this year."

The decision not to go ahead with this year's River Festival was confirmed last month by Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.

Chief executive Scott Taylor said the budget would be rolled over to 2011 to coincide with the launch of the new Riverside Museum which will house the city's transport collection.

"All of our partners have had to take a tough decision regarding the River Festival but it makes absolute sense to combine our resources and budgets to ensure the opening of the Riverside Museum is an outstanding success for Glasgow and Scotland," he said.