Bedford River Festival boosts local economy by £6m

A popular river festival that expects to attract more than 250,000 people to a town this weekend is said to generate more than £6m to the local economy.

The two-day festival in Bedford "brings significant additional income into all sectors of the town", Bedford Borough Council said.

The last time the free biennial event was held was in 2018, with the Covid-19 pandemic stopping it two years ago.

Traders have spoken to the BBC about their excitement at its return.

The event includes dragon boat and raft races on the river, live music and a funfair. It is spread across The Embankment, Mill Meadows, Russell Park and St Mary's Gardens.

For the first time, the High Street will be closed to host the Festival of Motoring.

Lisa Course, from Papillon Coffee House on Castle Road, said she was "excited" about the weekend.

"Being a Bedfordian and business owner near the event, it's great for business and it's great for people. As they come from afar, it puts us on the map," she said.

"It's just great and as we've missed one, it's going to be busier than ever."

With this year's event expanding into the town centre, she said she would like to see other parts of Bedford take part too, including the Castle Road area - a short walk from the River Great Ouse.

Thomas Healey, co-owner and manager of The Longholme cafe on the river, said he would have 21 members of staff on this weekend, working "flat out" to cater for up to 1,000 people.

For the first time it will be offering set menus and online bookings.

He has also timed the renovation of a fleet of boats on the Longholme to launch on Saturday.

"As a local resident, I can see how beneficial it is for the town."

He said as it was only held over two days, every two years, "it's not something we can rely on".

"You have to plan. It takes a while for us to get our heads round it and embrace it.

"I hope we get a lot of walk-ins as there's an element of investment to keep up with demand."

It costs the council £450,000 to put on and it recovers about £284,000 in sponsorships and concessions, a spokesman for the local authority said.

"The financial benefits for local businesses, organisations and creatives are estimated to have a substantial and significant positive effect on the local economy," he said.

The sums are based on "a tourist board visitor day spend of £24.87 per head, per day - this generates over £6m into the local economy", he added.

It was believed the figure could be more, as it did not include hotel stays.

Dave Hodgson, elected Liberal Democrat mayor of Bedford Borough, said it was a "momentous event" that was "always changing and developing".

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