This year’s Rose of Tralee will not feature a Rose Ball or any street events organised by the festival.
A statement from the festival says it’s discontinuing the Rose Ball, and moving to a more accessible, community event instead.
The statement also confirmed that the televised selection nights will be broadcast from the Kerry Sports Academy in the Munster Technological University campus in Tralee.
This year’s festival takes place from August 18th to 23rd, and will not feature the annual Rose Ball or any street events organised by the Rose of Tralee.
In a statement, the festival says it’s decided to pass the organisation of the street’s events back to Tralee town, but will provide support and advice.
The statement also confirmed the selection nights will be broadcast live from the Kerry Sports Academy at the MTU campus in Dromtacker.
It means that there are currently no events announced for the town centre for this year’s Rose of Tralee festival.
The statement says the cost of running the festival has been increasing exponentially but financial support has not increased over the past ten years.
Records released to Radio Kerry under FOI previously showed the private company which runs the festival sought a significant reduction in the cost of renting the MTU’s facilities for this year’s event, while also seeking a financial contribution from the University.
Email correspondence showed that on March 30th this year, the MTU was still requesting the festival to pay invoices from last year’s events, which related to costs the MTU incurred for utilities and repairs to damages at the Sports Academy.
The festival is also discontinuing the Rose Ball, and is instead planning a new, more affordable and accessible community event, which will allow locals to meet the Roses.
Tickets for last year’s Rose Ball, which was also held at the Kerry Sports Academy, cost €200 per person.
A new, gala event which the festival described as intimate, is planned for the Sunday afternoon of the festival, and details of this are to follow.
Festival chair Anthony O’Gara says he’s confident Tralee people will rise to the challenge provided by this opportunity.
