A CUMBRIAN music festival boosted the county’s economy by more than £750,000, a study has revealed.

Kendal Calling organisers said the festival - which took place at Lowther Deer Park in August - increased spending, attracted a new generation of young visitors to the county and brought £85,000 to local hotels and B&Bs.

An independent study carried out by Financial Times European research manager, Alistair Smith, found that 75 per cent of festival-goers visited from outside Cumbria - 15 per cent of whom had never visited the county before.

During its five year history Kendal Calling has drawn a clutch of big-name acts to Cumbria including Pendulum, Dizzee Rascal, Mumford & Sons, Calvin Harris and Wild Beasts.

This year the festival drew 8,000 revellers to the Eden valley.

The study stated that two thirds of the audience were new visitors to the festival and more than half were in Cumbria specifically for the festival.

Significantly, the study found that 84 per cent would come back to visit the county.

Cumbria Tourism cultural tourism manager, Sandra Wood, said Cumbria needed events like Kendal Calling to draw people to the area.

“Events are a strong driver in attracting people to the area and an increasing number are attending Kendal Calling each year, which is great to see,” she said.

“They are also spending a significant amount in the area, which is hugely valuable to local businesses and the overall local economy.

“Many are also our future generation of visitors and it is important that the experience they have now is one that stays with them and encourages them to come back year after year.”

Festival director Ben Robinson said: "I think a lot of people will be surprised at the impact the event has on the local economy.

“The whole festival team grew up in the area so it's fantastic to be able to have a positive impact locally in a difficult financial period for the whole country.”

Festival organisers also raised £9,000 for charity through guest list donations during this year’s event.

The money will be split between the North West Air Ambulance, Teenage Cancer Trust and the local Lions charity.

The festival organisers are currently working on next year’s event and plan to involve more Cumbrian musicians and local community projects.