Millions of people across Europe tuned into stunning footage of Swansea Bay over the weekend
Bonnie Tyler
Seaside scenes and coastal views from Mumbles on a sunny day were among those captured by cameras when previewing Bonnie Tyler’s performance at the Eurovision Song Contest.
The annual competition, which came from Sweden this year, is watched by many millions of people across the continent, from France to Finland and from Italy to Estonia.
Swansea Council organised a live broadcast of the competition on Castle Square’s Big Screen. Fans were treated to Bonnie Tyler masks, a Bonnie Tyler tribute act and other entertainment.
Cllr Nick Bradley, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “The audience figures for the Eurovision Song Contest are absolutely huge because of the interest in the competition on the continental mainland. This meant breathtaking footage ofMumbles in the preview clip that led to Bonnie Tyler’s performance gave Swansea Bay a level of exposure you just can’t buy.
“The preview clips are used by participating countries to showcase what they have to offer tourists, and Swansea Bay’s inclusion in the UK’s preview video this year cast our wonderful home city in a superb light. We hope this will have encouraged people to go online and run searches to find out where Bonnie is from. This could then attract more visitors here in future, helping further boost the local economy.
“It’s yet another boost for Swansea Bay’s profile at a time when the destination is already being put on the international map because of the Swans doing battle with the likes of global brands like Manchester United and Chelsea every week in the hugely lucrative Premier League. This means exposure for Swansea Bay has never been higher, and we’re doing all we can to capitalise on that.”
Sensational footage from Rhossili Bay is also currently being featured on Marks and Spencer’s latest food advert and scenes from programmes like Dr Who have been shot in Swansea Bay in the recent past.
Rhossili Bay also made headlines across the planet earlier this year when it was named among the world’s top ten beaches by TripAdvisor, a leading travel website.
