LAST NIGHT’S NEW Year’s Eve concert on College Green was attended by 10,000 people – but Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar thinks we can do better.

Speaking today about the inaugural NYE Dublin Festival he said:

I think for next year it’s something we’re going to build on, we’re going to have a bigger party. More stages, more music, more people and bigger fireworks.

The organisers of the festival said 30,000 people has attended events at the three-day festival in the capital, a figure which Varadkar says is “a really good start for what could be a bigger celebration in years to come”.

The free events included an outdoor skating rink in Wolfe Tone Square, a children’s disco in City Hall and a New Year’s Eve concert in St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral. Last night’s concert was ticketed and was headlined by the Coronas, Damien Dempsey, Paul Brady and Bressie. Rory McCarthy of Fáilte Ireland said that the hope was that the New Year’s festival might encourage more visitors to Dublin for New Year’s Eve in the future – and possibly entice some of our emigrants to stay on for it if they have come home for Christmas.

Dublin City Council and Dublin City’s Business Improvement District also supported the festival.