City in the fast lane

The event will be held at Esplanade Reserve and the West End from noon to midnight on Saturday, February 8.

Shifting to Fremantle has not hurt the event’s ticket sales, with organisers expecting tickets to sell out in the week before the festival to reach its capacity of 12,000.

This would represent a 35 per cent increase on last year’s event, Claire Collins from Bossy Music PR and Management said.

While big festivals arguably have some drawbacks such as parking and noise impacts, businesses are hoping to reap the dividends of having so many people in the City.

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Tim Milsom said events like Laneway could entice new visitors, so it was important to put on a good show and ensure they returned.

‘The economic benefit for Fremantle is massive,’ he said.

‘The festivals bring in hundreds of thousands of people all of which contribute in some way to the Fremantle economy, whether it be parking, food and drink and even retail.’

But businesses had to be ready to take advantage of the benefits with some forums run by the Chamber to help retailers get the most out of the influx of people.

‘The Chamber is speaking with the business community to ensure that we run some complimentary events in the City that will suit this audience,’ he said.

‘We are planning some pre-party activities and making sure bars and restaurants are prepared and fully staffed.

‘We will be encouraging the attendees to come to Fremantle early.’