The energy company confirmed its support for the festival which celebrated an extremely successful 17th year in 2010, as attendances topped 100,000 for the third year running and gross ticket sales reached over £1 million.
The economic impact of the festival increased to an impressive £11.9 million in 2010. The festival saw an increase in international visitors, with music fans flocking to Glasgow from as far afield as Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Colombia, Canada, the USA and from across Europe, with Glasgow experiencing an increase in the number of first time visitors to the City.
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ScottishPower Group Sponsorships Manager, Heather McDonald, was delighted to be able to announce the renewal of the sponsorship.
She said: “We are very keen to continue our relationship with Celtic Connections as part of the already substantial commitment ScottishPower has made to the arts in Scotland. Our association with the festival goes back to 2007 and we are happy to continue as principal sponsor in 2011. This grassroots festival has a large role in Scotland’s cultural calendar and ScottishPower is proud to be able to play a part in that.
“In particular we were delighted with the success of the ScottishPower Powerful Performance competition, which is aimed at encouraging young people to get involved in celebrating traditional music. The 2010 winners, St Ninian’s High School from Giffnock, put on a fantastic performance on the prestigious main stage of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.”
Around 1,500 artists performed at more than 300 events across 18 venues in the city in January of this year including many sell-out gigs.
The funding from ScottishPower will enable festival organisers to continue to bring the highest calibre of leading names in the music world to Glasgow.
Celtic Connections 2011 runs from 13th – 30th January. The programme for the 2011 festival will be announced on Tuesday 19th October 2010.
(GK)
