Businesses embrace open air opportunities as outdoor performances are confirmed

A surge of interest in open air concerts by the general public is driving competition amongst brands to secure lucrative supply deals, according to the organisers of some of North Yorkshire’s largest al fresco concerts. The team behind this summer’s musical weekend at Castle Howard are reporting stronger than ever ticket sales, and brands keen to showcase their products to this captive audience.

With three music events due to be held on the front lawns of Castle Howard on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 August, tickets for Café Mambo, Castle Howard Proms and Queen Symphonic are proving incredibly popular, as the public emerges for lockdown keen to re-engage with culture.

“There is clearly pent-up demand for high quality events, but even with theatres and concert venues opening up this week, there are still a few nerves amongst the public about being in enclosed spaces – and that is probably why al fresco events are proving so appealing at the moment,” comments head of marketing and sales for Castle Howard, Abbigail Ollive. “The joy of these concerts is that you can choose how close you are comfortable being to others – the lawned area is huge for those who are still understandably nervous about being in crowded spaces – so it is a great opportunity to socialise and enjoy fantastic music in the company of friends and family.”

Companies that supply the hospitality industry are also keen to re-establish their out-of-home offerings, after months of focusing on home deliveries. Companies like Barton-le-Willows -based Sloemotion and Timothy Taylor’s have already signed partner deals to supply Castle Howard into event season and beyond. “Castle Howard’s audience, and particularly for these concerts, is very appealing to a wide range of brands and businesses, and we have seen great interest in sponsorship packages since we confirmed that the Music Weekend would be going ahead as planned,” comments sponsorship manager, Caitlin Hazell. “From independent schools to car dealers, so many people want to create quick impact from their marketing budget and these concerts are amongst the biggest planned for the region this summer – a great way of getting your brand in front of potential customers.”

With the increased popularity of al-fresco events, organisers are currently in discussion with transport providers to explore opportunities to bring visitors in from York and further afield, with interest from Hull, Beverley, Scarborough and Whitby. A number of hotels around the region are also planning their own shuttle service to and from Proms as part of a weekend break package.

For more information on Castle Howard’s Music Weekend, please visit castlehoward.co.uk. For sponsorship enquiries, contact sponsorship@castlehoward.co.uk