FRINGE WORLD delivers big benefits for Perth
Posted in Media Releases
Perth’s beloved FRINGE WORLD has released the 2016 Festival Impact Report that captures the significant and positive social, cultural and business impact of the annual event for Perth and Western Australia.
Free and ticketed attendance was up 50% from the previous year, topping almost 1 million. The 2016 Festival featured 713 events at 159 venues featuring 3,381 artists from Western Australia and around the world.
Perthians lapped up the big range of entertainment on offer with the Festival recording 349,841 attendance at ticketed events, which delivered $8.3 million in gross box office returns to artists.
Festival Director Amber Hasler said the positive results that the growth of the Fringe has generated for local artists is something the festival is particularly proud of.
“FRINGE WORLD is the largest box office generator for artists of any arts festival in WA and an event that delivers tangible benefits to both local and visiting creatives and more broadly to the cultural sector and industry, as well as the broader economy”, Ms Hasler said.
The total gross economic movement achieved by the Festival in Western Australia was $98 million and the gross value added for each $1 investment by WA State and local government was almost $75, up from $52 last year.
FRINGE WORLD is the largest annual arts event in Western Australia. Having started in 2011, the Festival is now recognised as the third largest Fringe in the world: a growth trajectory that has taken other festivals half a century to achieve.
FRINGE WORLD Chief Executive Marcus Canning said the future of Fringe is bright and with the backing of new and existing partners, the growing enthusiasm from audiences and the passion of the artists, Fringe will continue to shape and improve the Western Australian cultural landscape.
“We’re thrilled to have grown FRINGE WORLD so successfully to become the third largest in terms of total ticket sales. It’s now recognized across the international Fringe industry network as one of the best events in the southern hemisphere and a must attend for serious Fringe artists”, Mr Canning said.
The success of FRINGE WORLD recognises the quality and hard work of its artists, 71% of whom are Western Australian. As the Impact Report outlines, artists participated in the Fringe for a range of reasons including access to a diverse audience and free entry to ticketed events, with over 14,000 attendance recorded by artists to other events.
There’s something for everyone at FRINGE WORLD and the Fringe audience is as broad as the entertainment on offer. FRINGE WORLD’s breadth and depth of market reach is unparalleled compared with any other arts or cultural event in WA, with ticket purchasers coming from households in every postcode in the Perth metropolitan area.
The report also highlights ways that FRINGE WORLD adds value to the Perth brand both domestically and internationally. 79% of the surveyed audience thinks FRINGE WORLD is one of the top-five best things about Perth and 95% of participants would recommend Perth as a place to visit.
FRINGE WORLD Festival 2017 will return to Perth from 20 January to 19 February.
Click here to view the FRINGE WORLD Festival 2016 Impact Report.
FRINGE WORLD acknowledges the support of BOP Consulting (UK) whose analytical tools form the basis of the Impact Report methodology and Lotterywest, whose support of the Festival and the Impact Report is integral to FRINGE WORLD operations and success.
- ENDS -
Media Contact
Jo Hos, Marketing Director
jo@artrage.com.au