Prime minister’s plan to lift mood after Brexit is set to clash with anniversary of Irish civil war.
Figures from arts institutions fear 2022 event could alienate remain-supporting visitors.
The government is pressing ahead with its plans for a 'festival of Brexit', despite calls for the plan to be shelved, in fear it will alienate Remain supporters.
‘Festival of Brexit’ boss says 2022 event will bring ‘joy and happiness’ despite ridicule
13/01/2020
The boss of a new £120 million national festival planned for 2022 has claimed he will “bring the nation together” with “joy, hope and happiness”.
Amid the cancellation of basically everything, The Festival of Brexit is still going ahead.
The comedian, who backed Remain, distanced herself from the event, which has been branded a waste of public money.
The cash for Festival UK 2022 is set to be announced in Rishi Sunak's spending review.
Local MP Jamie Stone has launched a petition calling for the UK government's "Brexit festival" to be scrapped.
A celebration of British weather and a grow-your-own food initiative will be among the festivities.
The first commissions for the event, currently titled “Festival UK* 2022”, have been revealed with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
The first major attractions for the government’s £120m “Festival of Brexit” have been announced – including a “celebration of the British weather”.
The government has dumped Brexit from its ‘Festival of Brexit’.
Pop-up forests, computer coding and a decommissioned oil rig are all among the smorgasbord of experiences unveiled today.
A RIVAL to the festival of Brexit is in the works. The organisers tell us the Festival of Europe will “celebrate our European identity” as the Brexit festival, now called Unboxed, gets under way next summer.
Even a former Brexit Party MEP says he 'can't justify' the £120m Festival of Brexit [1 min]
17/03/2022
The £120 million cost of the so-called 'Festival of Brexit' has been called a huge waste of money in a new report – and now even a former Brexit Party MEP has criticised it.
The Government has been accused of wasting tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on a so-called "festival of Brexit" after MP's are left in the dark about plans for the event.
The U.K. government has invested £120 million in the event.
The festival’s “muddled approach” was a “sure-fire recipe for failure”, Conservative MP Julian Knight said.
MPs issue scathing report on £120m celebration dreamed up by Theresa May.
Unboxed, the arts festival widely dubbed the "festival of Brexit", has seen just 238,000 visitors, against its organisers' initial "stretch target" of 66 million.
The "Festival of Brexit" has attracted just 238,000 visitors in the last four months – a fraction of their expected target.
The controversial Unboxed celebration, which was branded an "irresponsible use of public money" by MPs, has reportedly attracted just 238,000 visitors since it launched in March - well short of lofty expectations.
Jacob Rees Mogg indirectly blamed for ‘politicising’ arts and culture event. / The £120million Unboxed festival, an event touted as a celebration of Brexit, has been visited by 238,000 people - a fraction of the 66 million organisers hoped would come.
NAO to examine £120m Unboxed project after MPs call it an ‘irresponsible use of public money’.