Ahead of the Autumn Budget on 26th November, a new levy on overnight stays was announced, giving Mayors in England additional ways to raise funds for transport, infrastructure, and visitor economy. This brings England more in line with arrangements in major tourist destinations in Scotland, Wales, and Europe.
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed said:
"Tourists travel from near and far to visit England's brilliant cities and regions. We're giving our mayors powers to harness this and put more money into local priorities, so they can keep driving growth and investing in these communities for years to come."
The consultation is currently running until Wednesday 18th February 2026, and OutdoorArtsUK will be contributing our perspective.
A fair proportion of the funds raised through the levy must be invested in free-to-access outdoor arts events. These festivals act as key drivers of visitor economy. For example, public investment into We Invented The Weekend Festival in Salford led to £250,000 worth of private investment enabling the festival to attract 60,000 visitors (25% from outside of Greater Manchester). 40% of these visitors using local shops and restaurants, resulting in economic impact of £3.2m for the local economy.
OutdoorArtsUK urge the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Mayoral Authorities to be transparent in how these funds are distributed, and that the contribution our sector makes is recognised.
We encourage outdoor arts colleagues to respond to the consultation through this link here and call for fair and transparent distribution of funds.
Deadline: Wednesday 18th February 2026
