The City of Edinburgh Council has introduced a policy which requires a one hundred per cent cost recovery to commercial events, effective from this month.
This comes after superstar Taylor Swift’s three sold-out shows in June cost the local council £40,000 to facilitate.
This included services such as supplying toilets, cleaning and security measures, as well as the more than 1,000 hours of overtime that council staff undertook.
Critics of the policy argue that these huge artists provide a boost to the economy that compensates for the extra council funding – Edinburgh enjoying an economic boost of an estimated £77m from Swift’s concerts – as well as the exciting cultural element.
This will mean that Oasis will be charged for the costs incurred when the reuniting band performs at Scottish Gas Murrayfield in August 2025.
Referencing the “huge profits” of events companies, lead Councillor Cammy Day said at a meeting on the topic that:
“I don’t think the taxpayer in Edinburgh should bear the costs [of these large events]”.
Edinburgh Council, along with many others in Scotland and the UK, has struggled with a long term budget black hole, with a predicted deficit of £143m by 2028/29.
This policy thus takes place along with £30m worth of cuts in the 2025/26 budget.
The pressure put on the council, and Edinburgh generally, when large cultural events take place has been met with further alleviation attempts, seen with the backing of the introduction of the first tourist tax in Scotland in August.
“Taylor Swift Eras Tour – Arlington, TX – Folklore act 1” by Ronald Woan from Redmond, WA, USA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.