Can big events change how a city is seen?

Thousands of people have descended on Southampton for concerts, festivals and major events this summer, but can they change the way the city is seen?

From major artists performing in Guildhall Square to hundreds of musicians taking over venues across Southampton, the city has had a packed events calendar.

It comes four years after Southampton reached the final four in the race to become UK City of Culture, with council leaders subsequently pledging to build on the momentum of the bid.

So is Southampton becoming better known as a cultural destination or does it still have some way to go?

Known as the "Gateway to the World", Southampton has a longstanding connection with the maritime industry.

The Mayflower sailed from the city in 1620 before eventually crossing the Atlantic, while the Titanic departed Southampton on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912.

More recently, the city has become synonymous with the cruise industry, with millions of passengers passing through its port.

Those comings and goings can leave Southampton feeling like a "transient city", according to Julianne Watling-McCarthy, co-founder of Southampton Pride Trust.

The city's Pride event is free to attend and Watling-McCarthy said more than 20,000 people visited over the weekend this summer.

"Southampton isn't very good at shouting about the stuff that's great here," she said.

She added there was now "a joined-up way of working amongst cultural organisations in the city", which was largely inspired by its unsuccessful City of Culture bid.

Southampton made the shortlist in 2022 to be named UK City of Culture for 2025.

It ultimately lost out to Bradford, but Sarah Bogle, leader of Southampton City Council and lead on growth, prosperity and culture, said the bid "provided a platform" and made the council think about "the art of the possible".

"The overall goal is to become more of a destination city and provide more experiences for people but also to help residents enjoy our city as well," she said.

Bogle said the packed summer of events was part of a conscious effort to promote Southampton.

She said analysis following Southampton Summer Sessions in June found more than 50% of visitors travelled from outside the SO postcode area.

"It's about building a brand about Southampton as a place to visit, Southampton as a place to spend time in, it's not just a place to pass through," she said.

The Southampton International Boat Show, now in its 57th year, attracted more than 91,000 visitors this year, with events director Jasmine Hill saying 70% came from outside the city.

Hill said the show reinforced Southampton as the "maritime place to go", while its work with local schools and universities aimed to "encourage the younger generation" into the industry.

But Chris Orr, event lead for Music in the City, wants people to recognise Southampton for more than its maritime heritage.

The free grassroots music event is in its 18th year and featured more than 1,800 musicians across 59 venues, with 425 live performances in a single day.

Orr said bands performing at the event had subsequently been rebooked by venues throughout the year, helping it support local talent beyond the weekend itself.

"By its nature Southampton is very spread out, there's lots of different communities and Music in the City brings them all together," he said.

As a local resident, Orr said he did not think Southampton received the recognition it deserved for its culture.

"For things like music and the arts, I don't know how recognised we are," he said.

"You often hear people quote Bristol and Brighton as music cities but I think Southampton very much is one and I think there's work to be done to get that message out there."

David McGregor, cabinet member for economy, culture, heritage and tourism at Brighton and Hove City Council, said his council treated culture like a "heritage asset" for the city.

He said economic impact studies were used to measure what events brought back to Brighton, while the council also responded to feedback and had changed or removed events when they did not feel right for the city.

McGregor acknowledged that, at a time when councils were under financial pressure, "culture and events seems like the easiest thing to cut", but said the investment was "invaluable".

He said "having an understanding of what you want to be known for" was crucial to developing a city's cultural identity.

"We have a clear understanding of the things that work and the things that don't," he said.

"Maybe that's a bit of trial and error over the years as well."