Live entertainment events in Ireland – music: arts, theatre and comedy: family, attractions and exhibitions, generated a massive €1.7 billion of additional revenue over a 12 month period supporting employment for nearly 11,500 people, according to a major new report published in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and IMRO.
The huge income came from over 4 million people attending live events – including nearly 300,000 overseas visitors to the Island of Ireland. In all, live entertainment events were responsible for an amazing 3.7 million bed nights in hotels and guesthouses, the equivalent of over 54 “Sold Out” All Ireland Finals at Croke Park.
The research shows a total of €669 million in additional gross revenue value was produced by the event goers, while for every €1 spent on a ticket, an additional €6.06 of revenue was generated within the economy. The figures are revealed in ‘Let’s Celebrate 2017 The Cultural and Economic Contribution of Live Entertainment Events in Ireland.’ The report, the first time a detailed study has been carried out into the industry in Ireland, was undertaken by well-known industry figure, Justin Green, with economic research conducted by London based international firm, BOP Consulting.
The Let’s Celebrate 2017 report emerged from a belief that the entertainment industry is frequently overlooked and not always respected as the viable and tangible professional industry that it is. This is considered particularly disappointing, by those in the industry, in light of the level of recognition and respect our musicians, actors, dancers and various other performers gain internationally.
The purpose of the project is designed (1) to gain the public’s recognition and support for Ireland’s live entertainment industry and in particular its artists, musicians, performers and the supporting industry as a whole (2) to provide the industry with a benchmark document against which the sector can be measured and which is designed to benefit the overall industry and (3) to provide an important credible educational tool for Colleges, Universities, Research Bodies etc. to use.
Quantifying the economic and cultural impact of live entertainment in Ireland for the first time, the Let’s Celebrate 2017 report is a ground-breaking, independent piece of research. This benchmarking document examines the current status of live entertainment events in Ireland and its economic and cultural contribution to the country. Based on ticket sales by Ticketmaster Ireland over a 12-month period, the document also involved a detailed survey of over 5,700 ticket attendees across relevant events. The document also assesses the impact of a range of different live entertainment genres – Music: Arts, Theatre and Comedy: Family, Attractions and Exhibitions. It breaks down the impact of these genres
geographically (Dublin, the rest of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) and provides a number of case studies on live entertainment across the Island of Ireland.
In the Republic, an additional €1.3 billion revenue was generated by live entertainment events which were attended by 3.4 million people of which 433,666 came from Northern Ireland and overseas. The total number of bed-nights arising from live entertainment events in the Republic in the 12 months surveyed was 3.1 million.
As well as the Republic, the research also details the relevant figures for Northern Ireland, Dublin and the rest of the Republic. The study shows that over 83,000 fans were lost to Northern Ireland by travelling to events there. As well as the key research, the report also has contributions from a cross-section of contributors including Paul McGuinness the former U2 Manager, promoters Caroline Downey, Peter Aiken and Denis Desmond, Michael O’Leary of Ryanair, Anne Clarke of Landmark Productions, Moya Doherty of Riverdance, Louis Walsh, Simon Cowell, Lord Henry Mountcharles, Niall Stokes of Hot Press andothers as well as artists such as Robbie Williams, Michael Flatley, Michael Bublé, Brendan O’Carroll, Hozier, Danny O’Donoghue from the Script, Daniel O’Donnell and Panti Bliss.
Some of the business groups who contributed include Fáilte Ireland, Chambers Ireland, IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation), DLRCC/Richard Shakespeare, Dublin City Council, Irish Hotels Federation, Iarnród Eireann, Vintners Federation of Ireland, the Licensed Vintners’ Association, the Lord Mayor of Cork, the GAA, Aviva Stadium, Croke Park and others.
In an introduction to the report, Professor Andrew Burke, Dean & Chair of Business Studies, Trinity College Dublin, said: “Using a very comprehensive and robust dataset, this study highlights the turnover of these industries, the number of jobs created as well as the spill-over effects on the rest of the economy. Live performance is clearly shown to be a valuable business sector.”
Mr Justin Green, whose brainchild the study was, said: “We felt it extremely important that every element of the report, including both the figures and research be quantifiable, tangible and verifiable. The audit is based on factual information and presented in a format which provides a template for the industry to build upon.”
Victor Finn, IMRO Chief Executive added “Open air festivals and live music events contribute very significantly to the Irish economy. This research demonstrates that festivals reach into local communities also, providing employment and economic activity that bring benefits to areas other than just the large urban centres.”
Commenting on the report, broadcaster Pat Kenny of Newstalk, described it as: “An astonishing, fascinating reveal of how much Entertainment Events contribute to Irish Culture, Jobs and the Economy at large. Hugely valuable”.
RTE’s Miriam O’Callaghan added: “Let’s Celebrate is a landmark, ground-breaking independent piece of new research, that comprehensively establishes for the first time ever the enormous cultural and economic contribution that people working within the industry make to our society. Very informative, stimulating, a wonderful document.”
Today FM broadcaster, Matt Cooper, said the study was such “an interesting, essential and fact-based document that captures the real economic contribution of live entertainment events.”
