Footfall reached almost 90,000 in Barnsley Town Centre during the council-led Flavours Food Festival.

Running from Thursday 18 May to Sunday 21 May, the festival was a roaring success and saw attendance jump up by 21% compared to last year’s event, with a total footfall of 88,000.

To add to the hugely encouraging footfall, the festival left a lasting impression on those who attended, with 96% of surveyed visitors rating the town centre positively and saying they would definitely promote the town centre to a friend or colleague.

Flavours Food Festival kick-started another busy summer events programme for the town centre. The success of events over the last 12 months is showcasing how the Council’s decision to invest in regenerating the town centre is paying off. Creating new hubs like The Glass Works public square is helping to activate the town centre and bring the borough’s community closer together, as well as attracting new visitors from the wider region. 

Leader of the Council, Sir Stephen Houghton, said: “Flavours Food Festival was a great event. The town centre was absolutely buzzing and it was so rewarding to see so many people out in the sunshine enjoying themselves, socialising with family and friends.

“This is exactly what we envisaged when we invested in The Glass Works and we work hard to put on these great free and low-cost events. We understand how important they are in supporting our communities, our culture and our fantastic local businesses. 

“In addition, what we have done over recent years in terms of regeneration is really starting to be felt further afield and has put us firmly on the regional map.”   

The next events in the calendar are Barnsley Live and Barnsley’s Big Weekend, which take place in June and July respectively and bring an exciting mix of musicians and artists to perform live in the town centre.