Derry City & Strabane District Council is proposing charging people to enter the historic walls during its now-world-famous Halloween festival.
At today’s meeting, councillors will be asked to approve a ticketing system which would mean that people will have to pay for the Awakening the Walled City experience for the first time.
It is estimated that more than 120,000 visitors attended last year’s celebrations in Derry city and 20,000 across Strabane.
There is a plan to extend the Awakening the Walled City programme to a wider section of the walls and city centre streets.
The council believes that charging £3 per person and £10 per family will help to avoid long queues that have become commonplace during the event.
The report states: “The PR AVE (advertising value equivalency) of the 2024 campaign achieved just over £7m and an overall reach of 317m.
“It is important to note that some coverage value is yet to be included in those figures as they are not scheduled for release until 2025, including Discovery Channel’s Adventure Cities and ITV’s Fred’s Tour De Ireland with Fred Sirieix, airing in Spring 2025, as well as an RTE documentary set to premiere during Halloween 2025.”
As part of its marketing plan for 2025, the council wants to focus on amplifying its global appeal.
“The campaign’s core marketing messages will align closely with Tourism Ireland’s ‘Home of Halloween’ initiative, reinforcing the destination’s status as the birthplace of Halloween traditions,” a council report says.
Currently, the overall Halloween budget for Derry and Strabane is £470,000.
This includes £335,000 from council rates, £25,000 from The Executive Office, and other income of £10,000.
An application to Tourism Northern Ireland for £100,000 is yet to be confirmed, and councillors are told to note that there has been a reduction over the past three years on the amount being awarded.
The report says that, in order to deliver this event to a high standard, at least an additional £70,000 in programming budget is needed, as well as £30,000 in marketing and related safety costs.
“In order to implement a ticketing system on the walls and to ensure that there is both a commercial and free experience for all to enjoy, it is envisaged that an additional £75,000 would be required but would be offset against income,” it adds.
The report says the impact of cost increases, funding cuts and overstretched interdepartmental budgets means that the delivery of this award-winning event in its current format will have to be reviewed going forward.
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News Catch Up – Tuesday 14 January