Aberdeen City
Council’s Urgent Business Committee has agreed to submit a bid for Aberdeen
to host the 2025 Tall Ships event.
The bid will be made in partnership with the
Port of Aberdeen and Business Improvement District operator Aberdeen Inspired.
The closing date for submissions is October 31, 2022, and organiser Sail
Training International will announce host ports on November 19, 2022.
If
successful, the Council and its partners will negotiate the contract for
sign-off in early 2023.
The Tall Ships – which is likely to include between 30
and 50 vessels – visited Aberdeen in 1997 and 1991.
The council said its approved
events strategy "aims to capitalise on the city's maritime heritage".
Aberdeen
Inspired chief executive, Adrian Watson, said that Aberdeen City
Council, Port of Aberdeen and Aberdeen Inspired were working hard on bringing a
compelling bid together.
Mr
Watson said, "Aberdeen Inspired has a strong record of working with
Aberdeen City Council and other partners in delivering several of the city's
flagship annual festivals and events, and we are absolutely delighted that
Aberdeen City Council has agreed to support the bid to see the iconic Tall
Ships return to this great sea faring city. Tall Ships being the largest family
free event in Europe.
"Through
these challenging times, it is vital that we are bold and ambitious for our
city in attracting world class events of this scale, which will help bring much
needed footfall into our city and build a legacy.”