00:00Live Music is returning to Butte Park this summer, but not everyone is feeling the same
00:06way about it.
00:07Black Weir Live, a new concert series set to bring global stars like Stevie Wonder and
00:11Alanis Morissette to Cardiff, has been defended by council leaders as a necessary move to
00:16protect public services.
00:18The concerts taking place at Black Weir Fields in June and July are expected to draw tens
00:22of thousands and bring in significant income for Cardiff Council, which is facing another
00:27tough year financially.
00:29Council leader Hugh Thomas says the events are part of a wider plan to generate verifinue
00:34and avoid deep cuts to local facilities.
00:37Add in there's a financial upside to hosting live music at Black Weir and has helped us
00:41balance the budget and avoid difficult decisions like closing services or venues.
00:46The council had initially been braced for more than £60m worth of cuts in 2025-26, a figure
00:52reduced to under £30m following a better than expected settlement from the Welsh Government.
00:58But even that smaller number still leaves tough decisions to be made.
01:01Some locals though aren't convinced.
01:03Residents, volunteers and sports clubs have raised concerns about damage to the park, reduced
01:08public access in the summer and the way events have been organised.
01:12They say this is another case of public space being sacrificed for short term financial gain,
01:17and questioned why tickets were being sold before licences for the larger events had even been
01:22approved.
01:24Council lawyers said promoters had moved quickly to secure big name acts and insisted there
01:28are safeguards in place to repair any damage to the park.
01:32While some remain sceptical, others are excited to see Cardiff once again host live music events,
01:37something the council says is part of its vision for Cardiff as a city of music.
01:40Jane P. Watkins reportedas for Local TV.
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