A TOP North Yorkshire venue is celebrating its 200th show since reopening and bringing a record-breaking season to a close.
Scarborough Open Air Theatre’s biggest summer yet has drawn fans from 64 countries, sold more than 175,000 tickets, and is expected to have delivered an £18m-plus boost to the Yorkshire coast economy.
The season will conclude on Saturday night, with soul and disco legends Nile Rodgers and CHIC closing out the venue’s 200th headline show since its reopening in 2010.
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Peter Taylor, co-founder of Cuffe and Taylor - who have been involved with the venue since 2016, said: "What an incredible season it has been and we cannot think of a more fitting artist than the great Nile Rodgers to bring the party vibe for our final show of the summer. It’s going to be a very special night."
He says since reopening, North Yorkshire Council-owned venue has now sold one million tickets and the 2026 programme has exceeded all previous records - surpassing the 2024 season by more than 60,000 ticket sales.
A majority of attendees were first-time visitors, with 56 per cent of ticket buyers new to the venue.
This year’s line-up featured global stars including Alanis Morissette, Michael Bublé, Hollywood Vampires, Scissor Sisters, and Teddy Swims - with many of the shows selling out.
Peter added: "We went into this summer knowing this was going to be the biggest and best season at Scarborough Open Air Theatre, and it has delivered in every aspect.
"The shows have been sensational, the record-breaking crowds have been wonderful to see and the sun has shone all the way through. It truly has been the perfect summer at this incredibly special and unique venue."
"That is great for Scarborough, the local economy and the thousands of people who work in visitor-related industries on the Yorkshire coast.
"We are now well on with planning for next summer and we cannot wait to start announcing the 2027 season – watch this space."
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, praised the venue’s growing reputation - which first opened its doors in 1932 and was closed until 1986, until a 2010 refurbishment brought it back to life.
He said: "Scarborough Open Air Theatre has become a hugely popular venue as these figures for the record-breaking summer season clearly demonstrate.
"The shows that have staged during the past three months have brought a valuable multi-million-pound economic boost to businesses, hotels and other accommodation providers in Scarborough.
"To also see that more than half of all tickets were sold to people who hadn’t been to the theatre before shows there is an ever-increasing number of people experiencing what Scarborough has to offer."
An Economic Impact Assessment carried out by North Yorkshire Council last year showed the 2025 TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2025 generated an estimated £8.8m in direct economic benefit for the local economy, excluding ticket sales revenue and spend within the venue.