World of Bluegrass festival brought 101,000 people to Raleigh, generated $5.7 million
The World of Bluegrass Festival brought 101,368 people to Raleigh in September and generated more than $5.7 million in impact, according to figures released Wednesday.
Attendance was down by nearly half when compared to the 2019 festival, but organizers said they were just happy to return to an in-person event after the 2020 festival was canceled due to coronavirus.
The event, which ran from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, featured free and ticketed bluegrass shows, a conference and an awards ceremony.
According to the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, which released the numbers, "the $5.7 million is a conservative estimate that does not include spending from locals" and "represents tourism economic impact only."
Earlier this year, organizers announced a three-year extension to keep the event in Raleigh through 2024. Next year’s IBMA World of Bluegrass will take place Sept. 27 to Oct. 1.
"Given all that's happened over the last two years it was hard to know what to expect from the festival. No matter how you measure it, we are pleased with the 100% increase in attendance over 2020,” said PineCone executive director David Brower. “Virtual was fun—but there's no comparison to seeing the streets of downtown Raleigh filled with banjos, fiddles and smiling faces. We're definitely back and are already looking forward to next year."
