Saturdays and Bruno Mars go someway to achieve CoC13 targets

Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín said the recent ‘Big Weekend’ event in Ebrington is “expected to contribute to benefit targets for 2013 relating to increasing Gross Value Added (GVA), tourism and training and employment opportunities.”

Last year the Sentinel reported Ms Ní Chuilín’s belief that wages must rise, jobs must be created in poorer areas, the city must be more equal, there must be better relations between Protestants and Catholics and people must be happier to live here, otherwise Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013 will have been a failure.

Last week Foyle MLA Colum Eastwood asked “for her assessment of the benefits to the Derry City Council area of hosting the Radio One Big Weekend.”

She said: “Not only did the main event itself bring some of the most high profile musical acts in the world to Derry, but there were also direct local community benefits through the week long BBC Academy which provided local young people with an opportunity to gain musical and media industry skills.

“There has been very strong demand for accommodation across the North West and national and international media coverage of One Big Weekend. This will help enhance the positive profile of the City of Culture as a place to visit and re-affirm Lonely Planet’s endorsement as ‘One of the Top Cities in the World to visit’ in 2013.”