Community leaders in Coventry have branded the decision to turn down Radio 1’s Big Weekend in 2011 as “unforgivable”.
The Coventry Telegraph this week revealed that the council turned down the festival – which featured Lady Gaga and Foo Fighters as headliners – because it said it could not raise the ÂŁ140,000 required at short notice.
Politicians, including Councillor Coun Ruane, are now urging the city to get behind a bid for the Big Weekend in 2013. They claim hosting the event could cost half the figure quoted originally by the newspaper.
Mr Ruane told the Coventry Telegraph: “It’s unforgivable to pass up on such a well known national event.
“What’s even more of a letdown is to know that the council hasn’t submitted a bid to Radio One or even picked up the phone to them since.”
In 2011 the event went to Carlisle instead – bringing in around ÂŁ1.7m to the area. Listeners from Coventry reacted with disgust that the city had turned down the event when it was revealed on Thursday:
Coventry city council turned down radio 1 big weekend as it would cost ÂŁ140 000 yet when carlisle did it it brought ÂŁ1.7 million in.
— john alan wilson (@jawswilson) January 17, 2013
Oh no asif coventry turned down the chance to host radio ones big weekend and said no we’ve got Godiva, what a joke
— Christy Donoghue (@christydonoghue) January 17, 2013
Find it incredible Coventry turned down the chance to host Radio One big weekend. A serious misjudgement and lack of ambition. Shocking.
— Rob Summerfield (@RobSummerfield1) January 17, 2013
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