ALLOWING more live music events to take place at Bute Park will help Cardiff Council avoid difficult budget decisions moving forward, the leader of the city council has said.
Blackweir Live, which will see a number of world famous artists like Stevie Wonder and Alanis Morissette play at Blackweir Fields, will be taking place over select days in June and July.
Key decision makers at Cardiff Council and the leader of the local authority, Cllr Huw Thomas, argued that funds from the events will help protect grassroots music venues and the city’s parks.
However, there are others who worry it is another example of councils in deficit having to make quick money making decisions at the expense of public spaces.
Residents, volunteers and sports teams were angered about plans for events on Blackweir Fields, fearing it will wreck the land and make more parts of Bute Park inaccessible during the summer.
Cllr Thomas said: “There is a financial upside to the council of hosting live music events in Blackweir.
“That makes an important contribution to allowing us to set that balanced budget.
“One of the ways that we’ve avoided making really difficult facility closures in recent years is by generating income and that’s where Blackweir Live comes in from a financial perspective.”
Cardiff Council was initially facing the prospect of having to save more than £60m in 2025/26.
Following a better than expected budget settlement from the Welsh Government, this figure was reduced to £27.7m.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) welcomed the additional funding that councils received this year.
However, some councillors on the local government association said it still fell short of what was needed.
Cllr Thomas added: “We are also proud of our credentials as a music city.
“We want to see the biggest and best artists from all over the world perform in Cardiff, in the likes of Stevie Wonder [and] Alanis Morissett.
“That is what you are seeing. Ticket sales are strong. Of course we recognise how loved the city’s parks are.
“There are safeguards in place to ensure that the parks are maintained. If they are not maintained, there is provision to claw back the money to make them good.
“This is about music making. The last few summers in Cardiff have been exemplified by a litany of the biggest names in music coming here to perform.
“That is what we are seeing again and expanded this summer.
“Whilst I recognise the concern, and hopefully people objectively will see that we’ve safeguarded to mitigate those concerns, this is also about getting some fantastic music happening in the city.”
There is already a licence covering Blackweir Fields for events of up to 25,000 people and the land has been used for a firework display in the past.
In order for the events to run as planned, a licence to allow events of up to 35,000 people was needed.
At a licensing sub committee meeting in April, the council was asked whether event organisers had done things the “wrong way round” by advertising and selling tickets before a new event licence was granted for Blackweir Fields.
When faced with this question, a lawyer representing the council at the meeting said the the organisers acted quickly to secure globally renowned artists.
Jeremy Phillips KC said at the time: “The leading time has just necessitated them taking that risk”.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Cllr Huw Thomas whether he felt the council had been rushed into making a decision on Blackweir Fields.
He said: “I don’t think so. I think we’ve had to move quickly, but we are working with a promoter who is a local promoter.
“It is bigger companies involved in delivering the artist, but this is a local promoter who is taking a risk on this project.
“That needs to be acknowledged.
“We will be working closely with the promoter to make sure things go well because… we want it to be a success and potentially [in] future years we will have a longer lead in time to get the right artists lined up, but I don’t think it was a case of being rushed.”
The licence that’s now been approved for Blackweir Fields has 46 conditions attached to it to manage future events correctly and to try and mitigate any potential negative impacts.
Under the licence, there can only be six main event days during the year.
Kings of Leon, who were supposed to play at Blackweir Live on Sunday, June 29, pulled out of their UK tour after frontman Caleb Followill sustained an injury.
This particular day of the Blackweir Live event, which was meant to include a set from Courtneers, has been cancelled.
Noah Kahan is still scheduled to perform at Blackweir Fields on Friday, June 27.
In the following month, the park will welcome Alanis Morisette, Slayer and Stevie Wonder who will play on Wednesday, July 2; Thursday, July 3 and Wednesday, July 9 respectively.
