Stendhal bigger and better than ever

Record numbers flocked to the Stendhal festival at the weekend, making it one of the fastest growing live music events in the UK.
Arriving at Stendhal. INLV3214-232KDRArriving at Stendhal. INLV3214-232KDR
Arriving at Stendhal. INLV3214-232KDR

Organisers said estimated attendance figures show the popular Limavady festival has increased its audience by as much as 40 per cent in comparison with last year’s event.

The Stendhal Festival of Art had also witnessed a huge increase back in 2013 on the audience at the previous year’s event. In fact, the numbers of people coming to Stendhal have increased substantially every single year since

it began in 2011.

While final figures have yet to be determined, organisers believe that there were between 4,000 and 4,500 who turned up to catch the music, art, drama and comedy on show, well up on last year’s number of 3200.

Event director Ross Parkhill said: “We are so pleased that so many people came along to enjoy Stendhal again this year. From an organisational stand-point it was one of our most challenging years as it was the first time we had incredibly wet weather to deal with, however after we sorted out the issues that brought along with it, everyone forgot about the mud and had a great time, which is what this

is all about.”

Head of communications John Cartwright, said: “It was easily the biggest one yet. We had the most acts, most stages, most little areas throughout the site, and the most people through the gates. It was the biggest one by a long way.”

What sets Stendhal apart is the community spirit and friendly, family atmosphere that is perhaps unique to the Limavady event. Over 100 volunteers helped make the event a success - from those staffing the bars and stalls to those who helped the motorists stuck in mud.

Ross Parkhill added: “We have an incredibly long list of people we would like to thank but on top of that list is our amazing team of volunteers who once again went above and beyond what we could ever expect of them.

“It is incredibly humbling to have so many people give us so much of their time and effort to help us put the show on the road, we would be nowhere without them and they should be incredibly proud.”