Coleraine Connect seeks council backing for Riverfest, Christmas market and town centre plans

Coleraine Connect has called for further council support as it plans more major events, including the return of Riverfest and a Christmas market in town.

Representatives from the business improvement district organisation outlined their work during a presentation to elected members of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council this evening. 

The organisation, formerly known as Coleraine BID, said it had shifted direction under a new board and wanted to build on increased activity in the town during 2026.

Its chair, Johnny Fielding, a local business owner who has traded in Coleraine for 10 years, told councillors that supporting the town centre had become increasingly important as businesses faced rising costs, expensive energy, changing consumer habits and continued competition from online shopping.

He said he had become involved because he “wanted change” and believed Coleraine had “enormous potential”.

Councillors were told the organisation had introduced a new board and team, increased its social media activity and investment in video and photography, and launched a newsletter, WhatsApp community and new website.

Coleraine Connect said its website had attracted almost 3,000 visitors and more than 6,000 page views during its first three months, with almost 1,000 visitors arriving through Google search.

The organisation said its work went beyond events, with discussions taking place with the council, the Department for Infrastructure, Northern Regional College, local traders, Harbour Commissioners and other organisations.

It also said it supported the opening and development of Market Yard and had been involved with the Future Town Fund.

However, events formed a significant part of the presentation, with Coleraine Connect arguing the town should have an economic purpose.

“Events bring visitors. Visitors create footfall. Footfall creates dwell time. Dwell time creates local spend, and local spend supports strong business,” councillors were told.

Events held during 2026 have included football celebrations, the Classic Mini Show, a K-pop event, the Big Bark Dog Show, Thunder Action Sports and Jurassic Coleraine.

The organisation said the Big Bark Dog Show saw town centre footfall increase by 11.7% compared with the equivalent Saturday the previous year.

Thunder Action Sports recorded footfall figures in excess of 50,000, while Jurassic Coleraine recorded a figure of 56,225, which Coleraine Connect said was the highest of the year outside the Armed Forces event.

Some cafes had reported increases in trade of as much as 60% compared with the previous year, the meeting was told.

During questions from councillors, however, Coleraine Connect acknowledged the limitations surrounding footfall camera figures.

Johnny said people could walk past the cameras more than once, but said overall Saturday figures had been in the “high 50,000s”, which he described as around 5,000 to 10,000 higher than average.

He also said his own business was trading “far better on a Saturday than ever has”.

The organisation said it would like to stage more events during the week as well as on Saturdays, but said funding restrictions limited what it could currently deliver.

Questions were also raised about governance, annual reporting and the five-year business plan approved when the BID was voted on in 2024.

Johnny said governance arrangements meant the existing business plan could not simply be changed.

“Unfortunately, we can't fully change the business plan because the governance doesn't allow you because that's what it was governed,” he said.

“But we have taken it, and kind of ran with it, but tried to make it that wee bit better.”

Another Coleraine Connect representative confirmed an annual report was expected to be published around November or December.

They said the existing business plan remained on the organisation's website but described it as a guide that had to adapt as circumstances changed.

“We can't continue to look back on something and stick within the parameters of something that clearly was not working,” councillors were told.

The organisation said it would also review the plan when businesses voted again on the BID levy.

Looking ahead, Coleraine Connect said it did not want 2026 to be remembered as “one good summer” and outlined ambitions for larger destination events, increased visitor numbers, longer dwell times and greater spending in local businesses.

Three projects were identified as priorities for 2027 – bringing Riverfest back to Coleraine, delivering a Christmas market and progressing the opening of Market Yard.

The organisation confirmed it had attempted to organise a Christmas market for 2026 but had decided to “park” the proposal for this year.

It said it now intended to deliver a “proper destination Christmas market” in 2027 which would complement existing businesses, attract additional visitors and give people another reason to choose Coleraine.

The River Bann was described as one of the town's “greatest assets”, with Coleraine Connect saying there was an opportunity to reconnect the river with the town centre through the return of Riverfest.

Market Yard was also identified as a potentially significant development for Coleraine, with representatives suggesting it could become a dedicated events venue capable of hosting live music, cinema and other activities.

Comparisons were made with St George's Market in Belfast, with the organisation saying the lack of a sufficiently large town centre venue currently restricted the scale and frequency of events it could organise.

Coleraine Connect's immediate focus is a major Lego-themed programme planned for October.

The Great Coleraine Build is expected to include a trail through business windows, family activities and the National Bricks Events Weekend.

The National Bricks event will run across three venues and organisers expect it to attract between 3,000 and 3,500 additional visitors per day.

Councillors were told it would be the first time the event had come to the island of Ireland, with Coleraine competing against larger locations to secure it.

The council has become a delivery partner for the event.

Representatives also told councillors that developing Coleraine's night-time economy would be an important area of work.

Discussions have taken place with Northern Regional College, while the organisation also wants to work more closely with Ulster University.

Johnny told the meeting that Coleraine effectively became “dead” after 16:00 and said there was significant potential to encourage students into the town centre and develop more evening activity.

Coleraine Connect said closer collaboration with the college and university could also provide opportunities for young entrepreneurs, including helping them progress from small stalls or incubation spaces into vacant town centre units.

The organisation called on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and elected representatives to help secure the funding and investment needed to move its plans forward.

It said it was not simply asking the council to “give us the money”, but wanted elected members to consider the footfall figures, feedback from businesses, digital reach, visitor response, and relationships it said it had developed during the year.

Johnny said there was now “energy”, “positivity”, “momentum” and growing confidence around Coleraine, but said further support would be needed to build on that during 2027.

“Let's bring back Riverfest, the Christmas market and the Market Yard, and build a bigger and stronger Coleraine community,” he said.

“Coleraine is connecting again, so let's build on it.”