Cultural organisation Findhorn Bay Arts has released its 2024 Findhorn Bay Festival outcomes report which shows the ten-day Findhorn Bay Festival generated a financial boost of £687,202 to the local economy.
With 119 ticketed and free events across ten days, the festival generated 10,565 attendances across audience members, creative programme participants, artists, volunteers and staff.
The total is made up form £515,355 from visitor spend and £171,847 from the allocation and local spending of the festival and associated project budgets.
The report shows that a substantial amount of people travelled to events from outside Moray.
The 2024 festival attracted total audience figures of 8,986 – 3,871 at ticketed events and 5,115 across open-access and free events with around 58% of the audience coming from Moray, 34% from the rest of Scotland, 5% from elsewhere in the UK, 2% international audiences and 1% unknown. Compared to the 2022 Festival, this represents an increased percentage of regional audiences, suggesting that local support has strengthened, as well as a slightly increased percentage of international audiences.
Invested
Over the ten days, 260 artists contributed to the organisation’s core aim of ‘making creative things happen across Moray’. One artist said: “There is a feeling that everyone feels invested in what is going on… the artists, the organisers, the audience and the local community. It is exhilarating to be a part of it all.”
Participation and engagement are the ‘beating heart’ of the festival programme. Artists were supported to create new work that engaged with the people and places; artists-in-residence shared work inspired by and co-created with local people including an international collaboration between Dopey Monkey (Moray) and Jean Luc Thomas and Gab Faure (Brittany); and adults with learning disabilities were supported to create a new street theatre work encompassing the festival themes of nature, connection and belonging.
Window Wanderland attracted over 40 window-based artworks, created by an estimated 348 people of all ages, including local households, families, businesses, community groups and schools from the Forres area and brought smiles to between 1,500-2,000 spectators on the festival’s opening night.
The festival celebrated its international connections with artists coming from Brittany in France, Colombia, Spain and Ukraine.
Participation
During the festival, a range of ‘get involved’ activities and workshops were programmed for all ages. 1,244 people accessed programmes and participated – 778 people through workshops and creative learning programmes and 466 people through schools, care homes and community groups.
Kresanna Aigner, CEO and Creative Director of Findhorn Bay Arts and Festival Director, said: “This year’s festival built on the success and engagement seen in previous festivals and provided our audiences with the very best in cultural experiences. The festival programme was eclectic and did what we wanted it to do the most, which was to welcome the world to Moray to celebrate the very best of local, national and international experiences in music, theatre, dance, circus, exhibitions and family events for all to enjoy“.
The festival employed 41 people – 5 core team members, 7 young people and 29 freelance production staff. In addition, 34 volunteers signed up to support events and activities.
Findhorn Bay Arts worked with 36 partners covering 11 major funders, 3 business sponsors and 22 community and programme partners. A further 8 local hospitality providers supported the festival through the contribution of complimentary meals for visiting artists.
Feedback
Comments from those involved have included:
“Every year The Findhorn Bay Arts festival never fails to draw people from far and wide as well as Moray into Forres and Findhorn. It certainly livens up the town and brings a lovely feeling of culture as well as an uptake in sales for all the local businesses. Carrie Sarah Hughes, Cafe 1496
“Findhorn Bay Festival is the beacon of creative activity that inspires future creatives within the local area to shine and keep the arts light alive for years to come!” Out of the Darkness Theatre Company
“Findhorn Bay Festival gives Moray residents opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.” Window Wanderland Participant
Read the full report at https://findhornbayarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/FBF024-Festival-Evalution-and-Outcomes-Report-Interactive.pdf
Festival highlights
Pictures by Mark Richards and Marc Hindley








The 6th Findhorn Bay Festival will return in 2026. Dates will be announced soon. Keep an eye on our socials or sign up to our newsletter.