2012 - record-breaking show brought £6million boost to city

LAST time The Lion King played at the Bristol Hippdrome, in August 2012, it was credited with bringing in more than £6 million to the city’s economy.

The award-winning musical was a sell-out every night, with the 88 performances playing in front of a total of 165,000 people.

It underlined its position as the biggest ever touring theatre production by attracting visitors from every corner of the UK, with 75 per cent of the audience travelling from outside of Bristol to see the production, including as far afield as the Orkneys, East Anglia and Northern Ireland.

More than half of the visitors were visiting the Hippodrome for the first time, generating huge benefits to the city.

At the time, John Hallett, managing director of Destination Bristol, said: “The level of economic impact that an event the calibre of The Lion King can bring to the city of Bristol is extraordinary.

“We saw a similar effect in 2009 with the acclaimed Banksy exhibition, which brought tens of thousands of visitors to the region.

“While it is impossible to accurately measure this impact, after analysing attendance figures, we believe that through travel, hotel accommodation, business in local shops and restaurants, The Lion King brought well over £6 million to the local economy – as well as entertaining more than 165,000 people.”

In 2012, specifically for The Lion King and for the first time in its history, the stalls seating in the auditorium was reconfigured to have two aisles, to allow for the famous animal procession which opened the show.

And due to the high demand for tickets, it was the first production in the Hippodrome’s history for which standing room tickets were sold.

Christiaan De Villiers, general manager at the Hippodrome in 2012, said the show “brought new audiences and new energy to the theatre, and is sure to stand as one of this historic theatre’s most exciting and memorable productions”.

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The Lion King brought well over £6 million to the local economy – as well as entertaining more than 165,000 people.

John Hallett in 2012