BUSINESS experts say a one-day event brought in £350,000 to the city.

The team from Go!Southampton estimated the figure after Southampton’s second LGBT Pride festival saw upwards of 10,000 revellers pack out Guildhall Square - double the numbers from last year’s inaugural event.

It comes just weeks after businesses in the city centre told the Daily Echo they were closing early due to lack of footfall.

Go!Southampton’s marketing and events director Heidi Isa said: “It’s always very difficult to put an economic value on these kinds of events.

Something like Pride really puts Southampton on the map, and due to the nature of the event, it also takes participants on a trail around the city.

The result is that people get to see areas they may not have visited before.

“They will undoubtedly spend money in the city on the day, but we hope that their experience of the city will also encourage them to return, generating a longer-lasting economic impact.”

And Pride organisers are already planning the third event - which they say will be even bigger and better.

Committee member Julianne Watling-McCarthy said: “There were lots of things we wanted to do this year but couldn’t. We wanted a team of signers on the stage and more things for the kids to do for free. We definitely want to make it more accessible. But each cost will increase by about 30 per cent.

“This year’s event cost £35,000 and the more we do the more it costs.”

She added that next year there could be a small charge - but that was yet to be decided.

But City leisure and communities chief Councillor Satvir Kaur, who opened last Saturday’s event, said economic impact was not the main driver.

She said: “It’s about bringing communities together. I was so pleased to see so many young people there.

"When I was on stage talking about the LGBT journey all these young people were looking at me wide-eyed not realised homosexuality was illegal 50 years ago.

“It’s great when these events are free of charge and the committee did an incredible job with their fundraising.

"While it was a fun and colourful event there is still an important message there."