A new Isle of Wight music, dance and comedy event is planned for Ryde next July – but concerns about it have already been raised by nearby residents.
For the last 2 years, The Woodland Sessions have been held at Robin Hill. Comedians Tom Allen, Russell Kane and Seann Walsh and musicians Katie Melua, Russell Watson and Sigma have taken to the stage there.
With a Difference, the company behind the event, has now revealed its partnership with Vectis Ventures has come to an end and it has found a new home at Ryde Marina, with the support and some financial backing of Ryde Town Council (RTC).
Moving forwards, it will be known as The Big Beach Weekender and it will feature comedy, dance and music.
Assuming it gains permission from the Isle of Wight Council, the event would be held in July 2024. It hopes to attract up to 2,000 people, growing to just under 5,000.
However, some Ryde residents have questioned the use of public money to help fund a privately-run event and they have raised fears about litter and noise late into the night.
Its organisers say they approached Ryde Town Council (RTC) for funding because their set-up fees are higher.
Defending the use of public money, a RTC spokesperson said grant funding requests are always discussed, debated and awarded on their individual merit – and what they can bring to the town. The spokesperson added there is a proud history of grant funding, including for Ryde’s carnivals, Mardi Gras, Merry and Bright, The Isle of Wight Classic Car Extravaganza and the South Island 7s event.
Town leaders have agreed to give £10,000 to The Big Beach Weekender, which is projecting generating £250,000 towards Ryde’s economy in the 1st year, growing year-on-year.
Litter would be hand-picked from the beach and organisers have pledged to work to reduce noise, including through noise monitoring and pointing speakers towards the Solent.
Curfews would be strictly adhered to, with comedy shows finishing at 22:45 and music stopping at 23:45, they say.
If they can afford to give a private organisation £10k, then they have been overcharging residents through the council tax again – RTC need to give back money to the council, who then need to give it back to residents off their next bill
effin fed up of the council talking BS about increased costs and lack of funding to justify stealing more money from us in council tax, then they do stupid things like this
can we have some intelligent people working in the council please, not unicorn project loving idiots that are happy to throw around residents money like confetti.
If you don’t like tourist events like this then don’t live in a tourist town.
Glad they have found a new home for this. Hope they don’t charge rip-off prices like Robin Hill.
Lol. Was there ever a more apt name for such arch exemplars of purloinery ?
Why don’t they give free tickets to Ryde residents up to the value of £10,000. Then it’s all square. Those other events are free to the public, this one isn’t.
Ha ha. That’s a good one.
This is why I love Ryde. It’s one of the only Towns I can think of that still has a bit of life. The atmosphere is great.
I’m a big fan of all the events held in Ryde (and across the island). I understand the companies behind The Big Beach Weekender may need extra funds to get this event staged, but if they go on to make over £10,000 profits from the event, the RTC funding should be returned to the town council and not kept as a financial gain. The £10k could then be reallocated towards non-profit events for residents and tourists to enjoy which may have been unmanageable without RTC funding.
The event will bring loads of visitors into Ryde and loads of money will be spent. That is how it benefits the local area. The island economy is based on tourism so we need the tourists to fleece them.
I fully understand how the revenue will be generated, but if the RTC is subsidising the cost of the event they should have a return from the event profits, either by repayment of the funding or a percentage of the profits generated. This can facilitate more local events attracting more tourists to fleece.
Hard to dispute this ?
I’m all for this sort of thing, but why in this location. Out of all the miles of beach at Ryde, why pick the spot that is going to have the most negative impact on locals.
Why not have it down by Appley Tower, no residents, better parking, less late night noise issues, and some wooded area…so much better for everyone. And not taking up the busiest area of beach right at the start of the holiday season. Not to mention up to 5000 people trying to get home through all the residential streets long after the event has closed.