Plans Advance For Coleraine’s Armed Forces Day 2026

Preparations are underway for Coleraine to host Northern Ireland’s Armed Forces Day in June 2026 — an event expected to draw thousands of visitors and showcase support for the UK’s military community.

A report due before Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Leisure and Development Committee next week confirms that planning meetings have been held between council officials and senior representatives from the Ministry of Defence, including the Army, Navy and RAF.

The event is scheduled for Saturday 20 June 2026, a week ahead of the national celebrations elsewhere in the UK. Proposed venues include the Market Yard beside Coleraine town centre and Christie Park along the River Bann, where the 2018 event was also staged.

Discussions are underway for RAF flypasts, Royal Navy displays, and musical performances by the Band of the Royal Irish and, possibly, the Royal Marines Band. The Ulster Aviation Society has also expressed interest in contributing retired aircraft for static displays.

Council officers estimate the total cost of the event at around £110,000, most of which will fall in the 2026/27 financial year. An application for regional funding of up to £10,000 will be made to the UK Armed Forces Fund.