LEICESTER’S FESTIVAL TEAM SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL ‘TOURISM SUPERSTAR’ AWARD – VOTE NOW!

Leicester’s Festivals & Events team has been named as one of just ten finalists in VisitEngland’s prestigious Tourism Superstar Awards — and the city now has the chance to help them win. Facing competition from across the country, the team is flying the flag for Leicester on a national stage, and public votes will decide the champion.

They’re up against some stiff competition from all across the country and you can vote for them Here to help bring the title home to Leicester.

The team have been shortlisted for this national award thanks to their key role in promoting the city, creating fantastic experiences for visitors and drawing in crowds to celebrate Leicester’s culture, creativity and diversity.

This is the fourth time in five years that Leicester and Leicestershire have been a finalist in the awards, with previous nominees including Sharon Redrobe – former Chief Exec at Twycross Zoo, Field Sports UK and the Leicester Museums team. These repeated high-profile nominations are testament to the sheer quality of the city and county tourism experience and those people who make it all happen.

Voting is open now and closes on Friday 20 March, and the winner will be announced after English Tourism Week, which runs from Friday 13 to Sunday 22 March.

This year’s theme is Local Stories, National Growth, and the national success and growth of Leicester’s Tourism economy is very much driven by its fantastic festivals. Leicester was named by Adobe as one of the UK’s best cities for creatives, thanks in part to the huge number of festivals run every year.

Leicester has long been known as a city that loves to celebrate and with 1,749 events and festivals in total, ranked above London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham in this list!

The Festivals and Events team are fundamental to this success. Among these many incredible events, last year they helped recreate Leicester’s Roman Forum as the centrepiece of the city’s historic Old Town Festival with the help of thousands of local volunteers; they welcomed over 60,000 annual revellers to the eclectic Riverside Festival; made Bonfire Night go off with a bang to 15,000 people at Abbey Park; helped run the largest Diwali festival in the UK; brought Christmas to life with a lights switch-on event that attracts tens of thousands and a full festive programme of events, and they lit up the city and guided a herd of illuminated horses down Leicester’s historic New Walk promenade in the multi-award winning Light Up Leicester festival.

In addition, the team helps to co-ordinate the delivery of multiple major commercial events that include the annual Leicester Comedy Festival, BBC Radio 2 in the Park and major gigs by the likes of Kasabian, Craig David and Madness.

They also champion Global Majority voices through the support of festivals including Eid, Mela, Caribbean Carnival and Chinese New Year. They help the city to express itself creatively through the biannual Bring the Paint Street Art Festival (below) and showcase LGBTQ+ identity with the Leicester Pride march and festival.

We are encouraging anyone who has enjoyed one of these festivals to support the team, cast their vote and share this with their friends, family and colleagues. Let’s get Leicester the recognition it deserves on a national stage!

Voting closes on Friday 20 March.

Direct link to vote for the Leicester Festivals & Events Team: https://visitenglandawards.secure-platform.com/tourismsuperstar/gallery/rounds/454/details/44799