Music festival to be worth e5million to local economy ADVERTISEMENT BONANZA: Belvedere House and Gardens, set to benefit hugely from the proposed Global Gathering concert. Belvedere House, Gardens and Park on the outskirts of Mullingar is expected to become the location of Ireland’s newest two-day music festival, the Westmeath Examiner can exclusively reveal. In deal believed to be worth millions to the local economy, it is understood Westmeath County Council has agreed in principle with music promoters MCD to allow Belvedere become a national festival site, and the location for the inaugural Global Gathering festival - a five-stage ‘boutique festival’ event featuring hundreds of international and national acts over two days. The festival, which is in direct competition to the hugely successful Electric Picnic in Co Laois, is set to take place a month earlier than the Picnic (which is promoted by arch MCD rivals Aiken Promotions) over the August Bank Holiday - on Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th, with the festival campsite open on Friday night. With 25,000 people expected each day, it has been estimated that Global Gathering could be worth at least €5 million to the local economy, and will greatly boost the profile (and finances) of Belvedere itself, which has lost the Council over a million euro in the past two years. MCD is expected to apply for planning and a licence in the weeks ahead, and it is understood that the Council are looking at the event very favourably. It is also believed that the Council and MCD will embark on a series of meetings with local residents, interest groups, local businesses, Belvedere members and County Councillors in the weeks ahead to stress the need for Belvedere to diversify into the festival market, and to stress the numerous advantages of staging a multi-stage festival. MCD is the biggest concert promoter in Ireland, with an international reputation and a glowing 25-year history. They are synonymous with the staging of festivals from Féile in the early 1990s to Witnness, Oxegen, Homelands, Creamfields and the one-day Slane concerts in Ireland; to T in the Park in Scotland and the V Festivals in England. They are the largest promoter of single concerts in the country, with a controlling share in just about every major venue, and in recent years they have successfully diverted into the theatre and comedy market. Like Electric Picnic, Global Gathering is being aimed at the more discerning, mature festival-goer, and will be strictly an over 18s’ event. It is a new festival concept for MCD, and marks a distinct departure from the commercial, open-planned festival concept such as that of Oxegen. Quality camping, including a provision for ‘executive accommodation’ and motor homes will replace the large-scale campsites, and food suppliers will be drawn from established restaurants and catering companies. A comedy stage is also in the works. The five stages will be spread throughout Belvedere’s expansive grounds, with the main stage to be located close to the lake shore to the left of Belvedere House. The other stages will be dotted throughout the grounds at locations to be specified in the application. It will be a sister festival to UK and American equivalents, but unlike the UK model, which is primarily dance music based and takes place a week before the proposed Mullingar event, the Irish Global Gathering will predominantly feature contemporary live acts and bands as opposed to DJ’s. No acts have been confirmed to date, but the likes of Ian Brown, Faithless, Doves, Muse, Moby, Underworld and Nine Inch Nails are all hotly tipped. Indeed, the American leg of the Global Gathering festival concept is being headlined by the latter act, one of the biggest alternative bands in the world, and it is more metal based than either the UK or the proposed Irish festivals. Several Irish acts, and local bands, will also be on the bill, the first official announcement of which is expected later this month. Westmeath County Council, who own Belvedere, would not comment on the festival this week, but they did confirm that negotiations have been taking place with a view to staging major music concerts at the lakeshore location. Belvedere General Manager Bartle D”Arcy could not confirm or deny that ‘Global Gathering’ will take place at Belvedere, but he did say that a festival event like the boutique concept of ‘Electric Picnic’ is something the famous house would be very interested in hosting. He said that , judging by the spin-off effects of similar festivals in the UK and Ireland, it would be “a bonanza” for the local economy. He said that Belvedere is interested in pursuing all avenues of tourism, including increasing its sports and the arts outlook, and a festival such as this would certainly fall into the latter category. As we went to press, MCD had yet to respond to requests for a comment.
magicspatula wrote: A bit of competition cant be too bad. it means theyll be gettin in bigger acts. all we need now is a metal/hard rock festival!
f®eak s© wrote: » Headline shows by the likes Robbie Williams and Metallica aren't exactly festivals.
Evil Sausage wrote: Theres the 3 Argillian gigs
BrianD wrote: Where's the download festival on?
