TAMWORTH’S 47th country music festival is done and dusted and once again the heat is at the heart of the wash-up.
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While the festival has been an ever-reliable money-spinner for the local economy, and venues have been packed out, for the second year running the heat on the main street has been raised as a concern.
Tamworth Regional Council mayor Col Murray has attended a few festivals in his time, 46 by his count, and he said the early indications were still good for this year’s edition.
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“It just doesn’t get any better than this,” Cr Murray said.
“All of the indications seem to be that the numbers are pretty good.
“There’s been a bit of comment about the main street and that numbers are down a bit and understandably so, it’s just been so hot outdoors.”
There were three days in festival over 40 degrees.
However, the mayor said the indoor events he’d attended during the festival had been very well-attended.
“Most of the events, in fact nearly all of the events I’ve been to, the main stakeholders seem to be doing quite well,” he said.
There’s been a bit of comment about the main street and that numbers are down a bit and understandably so, it’s just been so hot outdoors.
- Mayor Col Murray
It might not have been the biggest festival Tamworth has ever seen, but the mayor was certain the quality was still top shelf.
“I guess big is not necessarily better in terms of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, it’s really the customer experience,” he said.
And if last year’s numbers are anything to go by, the people are paying top dollar for the “customer experience in Tamworth.
“We calculate using the methodology of Tourism Australia and the festival last year was worth about $98.45 million,” he said.
“The economic benefit the city and the region get out of it is what’s really important.
“That must be one of the all time great events around Australia, particularly regional Australia.”
Temperatures are tipped to stay in the high-30s for the rest of the week, but there might be a slight reprieve on Saturday with the thermometers tipped to fall to 33 degrees.