MUSIC fans could be potentially be charged £5 per ticket to attend Youth Beatz in Dumfries — which could rescue the festival.
The annual two-day fest at Park Farm in Dumfries is under threat for 2025 because the plug could be pulled on funding for next summer.
It costs £160,000 to run Youth Beatz and this fee appears on a list of savings options that will be considered by the cash-strapped council when setting the 2025/26 budget in February.
A teacher spoke up at Dumfries and Galloway Council’s education committee last week and said she’d be “horrified” if the event was to be scrapped.
Meanwhile, North West Dumfries Councillor Andy Ferguson insisted it was a “no-brainer” to continue with the festival after an evaluation report showed that last year’s event generated nearly £1 million for the local economy.
He also referred to a survey where more than half of the 40,000 people who attended the event said they would be willing to pay £5 for a ticket to Youth Beatz.
Councillor Ferguson said: “The customers, the young people themselves, were quite happy to pay a fiver. Fifty-three percent were willing to pay a fiver or more for the experience they had.
“Because they know they can’t afford to go see Taylor Swift, they can’t afford some other big names, but they can afford to go to Youth Beatz.
“What they’re saying is, ‘if it keeps it safe, I’d be happy to pay a fiver’.
“That’s what they’re saying. We should remember that when it comes to budget time.”
Councillor Ferguson also referred to the positive impact that the festival has on local businesses, the visitors it bring to the region, and was amazed at the social media hype around it – with this year’s event generating more than one million engagements on Instagram.
Gatehouse Primary teacher Julie Irving, a teachers’ representative on the council’s education committee, said: “I think it’s a really good festival. I know lots and lots of young people and families who go to it.
“I think it’s a major source of income for our authority as well, and it actually puts Dumfries and Galloway on the map.
“That’s something we very much need to do to attract families to our authority – who will bring children for our schools, and who will bring their skills, and their talents that our authority can access.
“I, for one, would be horrified if we lost this festival.”
Mark Molloy, the council’s service manager for young people, who is heavily involved in the running of Youth Beatz, reiterated that these are currently just budget savings proposals and that councillors will have the final say when the budget is set for next year.
A capacity crowd of 40,000 flocked to Park Farm on June 29 and 30 this year to enjoy a range of acts including Saint Phnx, Cascada, Jonas Blue, Alice Deejay, Sigala and Talia Mar.
