Returning to annual attendance figures above 500,000 has long been a goal for organizers of the Stratford Festival – and in 2016, it finally happened.
The festival announced Saturday that a total of 512,016 people took in its plays and other offerings last year – including about 80,000 children.
As a result, the organization took in $62.4 million in revenue and made a profit of $687,000. Government funding was responsible for about six per cent of the festival’s total revenue.
Anita Gaffney, the festival’s executive director, credits the financial performance in part to new bus service between Toronto and Stratford, as well as increased fundraising efforts and bigger crowds at Shakespearian performances during the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death.
2016 marked the fourth straight year the festival turned a profit, following a $3.4-million dollar deficit in 2012 and subsequent leadership changes.
The festival’s 2017 season begins next month, with previews of Guys and Dolls starting April 15. More information about this year’s offerings can be found on the festival’s website.
