Council cancels Walsall Diwali event over cost fears

Walsall Council bosses agreed to cancel the bash that was due to be held in the town’s arboretum on October 24, following a meeting earlier this week.

Cabinet members were told it had been established that the turnout would not exceed 3,000 visitors and this would end up hitting council coffers by £17,000 at a time the cost of living is increasing the authority’s bills.

The authority said it would delay the Diwali event until 2023 while it works to establish whether there is a significant demand to host a separate celebration.

The Diwali event was announced earlier this year as part of a programme of which included bonfire night events at the King George V in Bloxwich, the Arboretum and Willenhall Memorial Park on November 4, 5 and 6.

It was anticipated the events would provide outdoor entertainment for families which had been halted by Covid and bring in at least £8,000 for the council if 80 per cent of tickets were sold.

Those three firework and bonfire displays will still go ahead as planned, with tickets currently on sale.

Elsewhere in the country, high profile council-run bonfire events in cities including Manchester and Nottingham have been scrapped due to escalating costs.

Councillor Gary Flint, Walsall Council's portfolio holder for health and wellbeing said: “We will not be holding a Diwali fireworks event in 2022.

“When we approved this year’s programme of events it was on the basis that they needed to be cost neutral, as it would be unfair for council tax payers to subsidise them.

“We estimate that the Diwali event would result in a loss of £17,000.

“Seeing reports of a number of city councils around the UK cancelling bonfire night displays because of growing budget pressures and the cost of living crisis has given us pause for thought.

“I can’t predict what may or may not happen in 2023, but realistically, unless events can ‘wash their own face’, as the holders of a strained public purse, difficult decisions may have to be made.”

A free event to celebrate The Festival of Lights will be held at The New Art Gallery in Walsall on Saturday, from 11am-3pm.

All tickets for the bonfire and firework events must be booked in advance and won’t be available at the gates on the nights. For more information and booking visit ticketsource.co.uk/healthyspaces