Local festivals encourage residents to become ‘music hosts’

Kirklees is home to internationally recognised world class music, and every year its diverse programme of events attracts thousands of music and cultural tourists from across the UK and all around the world.

During the busiest times of year, there is pressure on bed spaces in the area to accommodate these visitors, as well as national and international performers, artists, musicians and composers.

In response to this, two local festivals, Marsden Jazz Festival and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival are appealing to the local community to open up their homes to visitors by letting out a spare room, flat or even entire home, or by volunteering to host people for free.

The festivals attract an increasing number of visitors each year - Marsden Jazz Festival (12-14 October 2018) is one of the UK’s longest established jazz festivals and hcmf// (16-25 November 2018) is now in its 41st year.

By encouraging residents to extend a warm, genuinely local welcome to their guests, and offering them insights, recommendations and ‘inside knowledge’, the festival organisers hope that every guest will leave with a lasting impression of the area, the music and the community.

The project is being coordinated by the Kirklees Music Development Group, which is working to grow the vibrant music culture and community in the district and planning for a year of music in 2023.

There are several ways local residents can get involved and become a ‘music host’ - list a spare room, flat, out-house or entire home on Airbnb, an online booking service for paid-for accommodation and tourism experiences, or sign up to Couchsurfing, an online community of over 14 million travellers and locals who offer free-of-charge homestays and hospitality. B&B’s can also list their business for free on the Kirklees Council website.

Anyone interested can find out more about these schemes, along with other opportunities, information and guidance, by visiting www.kirklees.gov.uk/musichost

To find out more about the festivals go to their website:
https://www.marsdenjazzfestival.com
https://hcmf.co.uk

For more information visit http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/musichost