Success of Scarborough Fair Praised Amid Funding Review

Council tourism boss thanks Scarborough Fair team for events impact on the town.

Councillor Simon Myers, North Yorkshire Council’s Executive Member for Culture, Arts & Housing, has issued a powerful defence of investment in arts and culture, highlighting the significant economic and social benefits generated by the Scarborough Fair initiative. The declaration comes as the council works to secure the long-term future viability of the festival, which is currently scheduled to reach the end of its initial funding period in March.

Councillor Myers pointed to compelling evidence demonstrating the success of the arts project, which is a key initiative of North Yorkshire Council, supported by investment from the UK government’s Town Deals funding.

Speaking about the measurable impact on the local economy, Councillor Myers said:

"As of I think about May this year, Scarborough Fair had brought £10 million into the local economy.

It had massively increased the footfall particularly in winter at the lights, of what is normally a very dead time of year.

Every pound invested here in Scarborough Fair has brought £37 in social benefit, so nobody tell me that investing in the arts and culture is a waste of money. You can't get that result with any other investment."

Beyond the financial metrics, the Executive Member for Culture, Arts & Housing also stressed the importance of community pride, noting the positive sentiment among local residents.

"It's not just about bringing money in, that's very important. But this is about Scarborough folk and how they feel about Scarborough.

So out of a thousand respondents,Scarborough folk to questions about Scarborough fair, 87% said that it made them feel more positively about Scarborough that they felt more proud of their town.

So I'd like to say thank you to Julian and his team, the advisory board, the 70 or more local creatives, artists technicians and so on who they're given contracts to to develop this and the events throughout the year, promoting our creative industries, promoting jobs for young people."

The Scarborough Fair, described as a year-round programme of arts, heritage, and sporting events, saw a successful and varied summer season that included over 260 events in 74 locations across 5 festivals over 3 months. The Autumn/Winter season for 2025 has launched with a further 100 events and installations. This schedule included the new Scarborough Streets Autumn Edition in October and the Autumn/Winter Edition of Scarborough Art, which runs until 21 December.

Scarborough Lights Festival Dazzles

The ongoing third edition of Scarborough Lights is running from 14 November to 21 December. The festival features a range of free and affordable light displays designed to increase footfall during the typically quieter winter months.

Headline events include a drone display scheduled for Scarborough Castle between 19 and 23 November, marking the start of the town’s 400th anniversary celebrations as the UK’s first seaside resort. Additionally, the festival includes ‘Scarborough Histories & Mysteries’, a joint exhibition by Animated Objects, Photo Scarborough, and Dromer. Dromer are the creators of Grue, a show which recently featured at this year’s Bradford City of Culture celebrations.

Attendees of Scarborough Lights can admire various free installations and illuminations across the town, including Westborough’s LED light tunnel, Dino-bouts on Vernon Road and Aquarium Top roundabouts, and Ships Ahoy! illuminating the harbour. The keep of Scarborough Castle is also illuminated every evening of the festival.

Councillor Myers affirmed that North Yorkshire Council is actively working to secure the necessary arrangements for the future viability of the Scarborough Fair as the initial period of funding comes to a close.