There are hopes Dundee could play host to more major events in future as the clear-up begins from Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
About 80,000 revellers took to Camperdown Park for three days of top music acts including Lewis Capaldi, The 1975 and the Jonas Brothers.
Workers are already on site to start taking down stages and fencing, along with clearing up rubbish left behind by fans.
Dundee is set to host karate and cycling world championship events later in the year, as well as concerts from James and Bastille at Slessor Gardens.
Council leader John Alexander says Camperdown proved to be a “stunning” host and insists he will work to bring more events like this to the city.
He told The Courier: “Dundee is a superb location.
What a fantastic event in a fantastic city #Dundee #BigWeekend pic.twitter.com/rmzlKujP4x
— Councillor John Alexander (@CllrAlexander) May 27, 2023
“The Big Weekend showed that there is a genuine attraction to the city and not only does it provide an important promotional platform, but it also provides a multi-million-pound boost to shops, restaurants, hotels and the wider city.
“Of course, we’ve got more options than just Camperdown Park, but as this event showed, it is a stunning venue for it.
“I’m desperately keen to ensure that the city continues to attract major events.”
Dundee praised for ‘can-do’ attitude
Mr Alexander has also praised council staff – who found themselves as the stars of the show during Nothing but Thieves’ set on Sunday – for their support in ensuring the event’s success.
He said: “The Big Weekend showcased Dundee’s ‘can-do’ attitude, as the council and partners worked with the BBC to deliver a massive occasion on our doorstep.
“It helped to shine a spotlight on Dundee that has seen us reach the homes of millions of people across Britain through high-profile broadcast coverage by the BBC.
“Thousands of music fans also travelled to Dundee from across the country and we put on a huge effort to ensure that they were able to get to and from Camperdown safely.
“There were many people who also volunteered to support the efforts we mobilised to ensure that the weekend worked successfully.
“With an event of this size, it was inevitable that there would be disruption and we had to put certain measures such as road closures in place to ensure safety.
“I would like to thank local residents and people across the city for their patience and understanding over the weekend when there were restrictions.
“The Big Weekend represents a unique opportunity for Dundee and an economic boost for the area, as the event has been worth millions of pounds to previous host locations.”
Fans reportedly faced hour-long waits for buses to and from the festival site at times, and the local authority has thanked revellers for their patience.
Council addresses shuttle bus delays
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The shuttle bus operation to transport tens of thousands of people to and from Camperdown Park over the three days received much positive feedback from those who used the services.
“We would like to thank festival-goers for the good spirits that they showed while queuing and also on the buses.
“Dundee City Council and partners constantly monitored roads as well as bus frequencies and introduced changes as necessary to improve the operation as people left Camperdown after the event ended.”
Conversation