How much do events like the Victorian Fayre cost Worcester?

But it has now been revealed how much public money is used to fund them.

A report put before Worcester City Council’s Place and Economic Development committee shows how much the council contributes to each festival.

Crowds of people enjoying the Victorian Fayre in December (Image: Newsquest)

The Victorian Fayre is the biggest city centre event and brings in more than 100,000 visitors over four days.

December’s fayre made £121,000 compared to £107,000 in 2022, while the overall cost to the council dropped to £52,054 in 2023 from £56,111 the previous year.

The Three Choirs Festival is a week-long celebration of classical music that rotates between Worcester, Gloucester and Hereford.

It has a £1 million budget but the city council contributes only £8,000 of this, although that will increase to £24,000 this year as Worcester is the host city.

The Worcester Show has already been the subject of much debate, with the council finally deciding to charge an entry fee this summer for the previously free event.

The report reveals the show cost £30,373 in 2021 and brought in £10,126, costing the city £20,246.

And in 2022 it cost £49,734 to put on the show, which produced an income of £24,376 - meaning the council lost £25,358 on it, as well as more than 700 hours of staff time to support the event.

The city council contributed £3,450 to Worcester Paint Festival, which celebrates street art, in its first year and a further £3,000 the following year.

It has given £12,500 to Worcester Mela, a celebration of south Asian culture launched in 2022.

Worcester City Council has also agreed funding of £20,000 to support Severn Arts, which organises Light Night and a range of music and arts events.

The council does not fund the majority of these events alone - organisations including the county council and Arts Council England also make significant contributions.