Open Air Theatre summer season attracts 180,000

Scarborough's Open Air Theatre attracted more than 180,000 visitors during its summer season, according to new figures.

A North Yorkshire Council report said it was the highest number since the site reopened in 2010, with artists including Alanis Morissette, CMAT and The Streets among those drawing the crowds in 2026.

The 8,000 capacity venue is believed to generate an estimated £16m to £18m for the local economy, with the majority of fans travelling more than an hour to get there.

Simon Myers, the council's executive member for culture, said the theatre had become one of the UK's leading outdoor music arenas, with eight shows, including Shania Twain and Mariah Carey already announced for 2027.

The theatre originally opened in 1932, when it was built on an island in the middle of a lake in Northstead Manor Gardens, and became famous for large-scale productions and concerts before closing in 1986.

After years of dereliction, it was restored by Scarborough Borough Council and reopened in 2010 following a £3.5m refurbishment.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Myers said in a report to fellow councillors the venue had completed "another record-breaking season".

Attendance figures had remained modest in the early years after the venue reopended.

The venue attracted 12,264 visitors in 2011 and 16,894 in 2012 before gradually building its reputation and securing larger acts, after a deal was signed in 2016 with music promoters Cuffe & Taylor.

By 2018, then considered a record year, annual attendance had reached 91,431.

In addition to Carey and Twain, 2027's line up also includes The Kaiser Chiefs, Kings of Leon and Ronan Keating.

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