Milton Keynes City Council is set to commit £250,000 to support the world-class, award-winning IF: Milton Keynes International Festival in 2025.
The MK International Festival takes place every two years in multiple locations across the city and attracts a global audience, bringing a major boost to the local economy. Developed and delivered by The Stables, the Festival is a key part of the city’s cultural offer and the City Council provides financial support to ensure many of its events remain free or low cost for local people to enjoy.
Last year, 56,000 people attended the programme of events in centre:mk, Fred Roche Gardens, Campbell Park and other locations. A further 180,000 people are estimated to have experienced the Festival through casual engagement as they passed by exhibitions and performances.
IF: Milton Keynes International Festival brings major benefits to the local economy with centre:mk reporting a 14% increase in footfall during last year’s festival. Calculations also show that the 2023 event saw £6.7m injected into the local economy as participants enjoyed everything MK has to offer through restaurants, cafes, bars and other amenities.
Cabinet Member for Economy, Sustainability and Innovation, Councillor Shanika Mahendran said, "We’re really pleased to be sponsoring the International Festival again, which showcases our city as a thriving cultural hub that brings communities together. I look forward to working with all partners involved in making next year’s event even better."
A City Council decision to approve funding for the 2025 festival is due to take place next week. The Festival also receives significant funding from other partners, including Arts Council England.
