IF: 2014 set new box office records making it the biggest and most successful Festival to date.
Its bigger programme of events over ‘10 amazing days’ drew record crowds, with many shows – including performances by Ade Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds, the Puppini Sisters, comedian Josh Widdicombe and Ilotopie’s on-water production Fous de Bassin (Water Fools) – selling out.
Around 25,000 people purchased for ticketed events, compared with 18,000 in 2012.
IF: 2014 chair Dr Ann Limb (pictured) said: “The impact of the Festival was much more widely felt in 2014. Placing a national and international spotlight on Milton Keynes, the Festival has engaged with more residents and tourists than ever before which is great news for businesses, our local economy and Milton Keynes as a destination.”
Free events and installations were presented across the city centre, viewed by more than 140,000 people.
An estimated 190,000 encountered pop-up and roving installations as they went about their business and daily lives in the city.
Festival director Monica Ferguson said: “The Festival presented a bigger and more diverse programme of large-scale events and intimate experiences than before, to encourage people to explore, enjoy and debate.”
The Festival is delivered every two years with funding from Arts Council England, Milton Keynes Council and support from local and national trusts, foundations, businesses, sponsors and individuals.
The next IF: Milton Keynes International Festival will take place in July 2016.