The funding will be used to improve the site – located in the shadow of Stirling Castle – to make it suitable for large-scale music events, concerts and festivals.
The project is being funded through the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, a £214 million partnership between both Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils, the University of Stirling and the UK and Scottish Governments.
The enhancements are based on feedback from industry experts and include new access points, water and electricity supply points, improved drainage, broadband infrastructure and new internal vehicle access routes.
The project, which is part of the City Region Deal’s Culture and Heritage programme, aims to achieve the following objectives and benefits:
- Attract large-scale concerts, festivals or events over the next 15 years.
- Generate at least an additional 500,000 visitors through concerts, festivals or events over the next 15 years.
It is expected the works will be completed by 31 March 2026 (subject to planning permission and other relevant statutory consents).
Significant and wide-ranging economic and social benefits
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Gerry McGarvey said: “We know from speaking to organisers that the lack of in-built infrastructure at City Park Stirling has reduced the opportunities for more large-scale events at the site such as the successful Stirling Summer Sessions.
“This exciting project will transform City Park Stirling into a high-quality, sustainable outdoor venue that can compete with anywhere in Scotland for major music, cultural and civic events.
“It will generate significant and wide-ranging economic and social benefits for both the city and the wider region through increased tourism, investment and job creation, as well as delivering important environmental improvements at the site.
"The investment reaffirms Stirling and Scotland’s reputation as a world-class events destination and we look forward to engaging with the events industry on future opportunities.”
Opportunities for major cultural events
Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: "I am very pleased that £754,000 of Scottish Government funding will allow for the transformation of this historic site into a large-scale events venue. This will help to create opportunities for major cultural events that will attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, generate jobs and showcase Scotland's incredible talent on the global stage.
“This is being delivered as part of our £45 million investment in the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal. The Deal aims to deliver up to 1,500 jobs by boosting green innovations, digital connectivity and cultural activities throughout the region.”
The City Park Stirling Business Justification Case was approved by the City Region Deal Joint Committee on Thursday 18 September.
The City Region Deal’s Culture, Heritage and Tourism programme seeks to invest in the development of culture, heritage and tourism assets across the region.
Background:
City Park Stirling is an open greenspace close to Stirling’s city centre that has been used to host a number of concerts, festivals, family and national events.
These include:
- Runrig’s farewell concert, with 50,000 people attending over two days in August 2018.
- Texas and Skippinish at the Big Top – Under Canvas Festival.
- Stirling Summer Sessions in 2024 with events held over six days. Stirling’s headline acts included Shania Twain, Tom Jones and Busted. Over 20,000 attended the Shania Twain concert alone, with Go Forth Stirling reporting a 50% rise in city centre footfall and significant additional spending across city centre businesses.
For more information on the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, visit: https://www.stirclacksdeal.com