Perth's Classic Car weekend has been hailed as a tremendous success, with thousands of extra visitors flocking to the city centre. The event, held on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31, generated a strong increase in footfall movements across the city, underscoring Perth's reputation as a popular and vibrant destination.
Footfall data released by the council revealed that movements on May 30 surged by 96.2 per cent compared to the previous Saturday and were 62.2 per cent higher than the same day last year, with 66,361 movements recorded overall. Across the week beginning May 25, 213,664 footfall movements were recorded, marking a 25.5 per cent increase on the previous week. The busiest period was around midday on Saturday, with more than 11,000 movements recorded within a single hour.
Perth Museum welcomed over 1,800 visitors over the weekend, including 1,334 on Saturday alone. Perth Art Gallery also saw strong interest, with nearly 700 people visiting across the weekend. The event performed strongly online as well, with Perth City and Towns social media content recording 86,233 views on Saturday, 166,805 over the previous seven days, and 518,116 over 28 days.
As part of the weekend, Morris Leslie offered car enthusiasts a unique opportunity to explore his private collection of classic vehicles. Visitors could also enjoy a free vintage bus service from Perth Concert Hall to Perth Airport, enhancing the overall experience. Entry to the collection was by donation in support of local charity TASH for Ukraine, a group of volunteers and Ukrainian refugees providing humanitarian aid following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With attendance up by around 40 per cent this year, more than £5,600 was raised for this worthwhile cause.
Councillor Eric Drysdale, Perth and Kinross Council Leader, said: "It was fantastic to see the city centre so busy across the weekend. A lot of planning goes into bringing events like this to Perth, and we are so pleased that so many people came along. Not only does this create happy memories for visitors and families, it also provides a real boost to our city centre traders. It was also heartening to see our local businesses really embrace the event and play such an important part in its success, and we're very grateful to them for that."
He added: "We're now looking ahead to more celebrations later this month for Perth's Twinning anniversaries, including the European Pipe Band Championships on Saturday, June 27 and the City of Perth Salute on Sunday, June 28, which will bring a full weekend of pipes, performances and entertainment, showcasing Perth as a leading destination to visit."
