BOURNEMOUTH’S Wheels Festival will return next year, it has been confirmed.

The 2016 event will run from Friday, June 3, to Sunday, June 5.

The festival has run for two years and been credited with bringing thousands of visitors into the resort. But a third festival was not guaranteed, with all council-backed events expected to prove they were worth their subsidy.

An announcement on the Wheels Festival’s website said spectators would expect “non-stop, high speed action along the Demo Straight, monster metal crushing madness, gravity defying quad bike jumps and breathtaking BMX and skateboard tricks”.

It said more details would be announced later.

The first Wheels Festival, in spring 2014, saw more than half a million people come to Bournemouth and spend around £9million in the town centre. It cost the council £557,000 to organise – more than twice the cost of the Bournemouth Air Festival.

It was launched in the wake of the Air Festival’s success and was intended to boost business in the “shoulder” season.

Attractions included stunt motorcross, BMX and skateboard teams, F1 and precision drivers, monster trucks and classic car displays.

The second festival was held from May 29-31 this year – not on a bank holiday weekend as the first one was.

Organisers said the festival would be back thanks to support from the council, the Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District (BID) and the Bournemouth Town Centre BID.

Paul Clarke, chairman of the Coastal BID, said: “This year’s event brought business to the resort the weekend after the busy bank holiday, at a time when it would otherwise be slightly quieter.

"2015 also introduced the first Wheels Fringe event at Southbourne which was a phenomenal success – attracting an estimated footfall of 14,000 people to the Saturday evening event. 

“Coastal BID were festival partners in 2014 and 2015 but we have substantially increased our financial support for 2016 and will now be festival sponsor.”

Lisa Tucker, chairman of the Town Centre BID, said: “Our support will look to bring more activation in areas around the town centre. We look forward to a great festival that has already raised the profile of the town.”

Cllr Williams, Bournemouth council’s cabinet member for the economy and environment, said: “We are very pleased that the tourism industry has got behind this event and will be supporting Wheels, which confirms the council’s commitment to ensure it once again maintains the reputation of the resort as a premier destination for major festivals.”