Event weekend drives higher footfall across Coleraine
Coleraine recorded a marked rise in town centre visitors during the week of 12–18 October 2026, with local figures showing the town substantially outperforming regional and UK averages. The increase coincided with the town hosting the Northern Ireland debut of National Brick Events and a free Bricks Fairytale Trail organised by Coleraine Connect.
Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council data indicate a 10.3% rise in footfall compared with the same week in 2025. That compares with 0.9% growth across Northern Ireland, 4.3% for the UK High Street Index and 1.2% across the UK overall.
Weekend impact most pronounced
The headline gains were concentrated at the weekend. Coleraine recorded 56,707 footfall movements on Saturday 17 October, an increase of 32.8% on the equivalent day in 2025, while Sunday saw 23,103 movements — a rise of 175.3% year-on-year. Across the two days, the town attracted almost 29,000 extra visits compared with the same weekend the previous year.
| Period | Footfall | Change vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Week (12–18 Oct) | +10.3% | Against 2025 |
| Saturday (17 Oct) | 56,707 | +32.8% |
| Sunday (18 Oct) | 23,103 | +175.3% |
What happened in town
National Brick Events staged displays, traders and activities at Coleraine Leisure Centre, supported by additional attractions in the Town Hall and an Event Space marquee. The Bricks Fairytale Trail, run by Coleraine Connect throughout October, encouraged visitors to move between venues and explore local shops, cafés and other businesses.
- Event locations included Coleraine Leisure Centre, Town Hall and Event Space Marquee.
- The Bricks Fairytale Trail aimed to drive visitors into independent shops and hospitality outlets.
- Organisers said the combination of a major two‑day event and town-wide trail produced the strongest weekend performance.
“These figures are absolutely fantastic for Coleraine and demonstrate exactly why we are investing in major events that give people a reason”
The comment, provided by Jonny Fielding of Coleraine Connect, pointed to the organisation’s strategy of using headline events to attract families and specialist interest visitors into the town.
Local impact and implications
For traders and town centre stakeholders, the event provides measurable proof that targeted programming can generate significant short-term increases in visitor numbers. The high weekend spikes suggest events which appeal to families and hobby communities can bring visitors who otherwise might not visit Coleraine town centre.
However, sustaining such increases remains a challenge. While the town outperformed regional and national averages during the week in question, local leaders will need to consider how to convert one-off visits into repeat custom for shops, cafés and services. The week-on-week data also showed an 18.2% increase compared with the prior week — far stronger than the regional average — indicating the event had a measurable carryover effect.
Coleraine’s performance will be of interest to the council and business groups planning the winter events calendar. The figures offer a basis to argue for continued investment in town-centre programming, while also highlighting the potential benefit of co-ordinated marketing and partnerships between event organisers and town-centre traders.
As Coleraine heads into the busy seasonal period, organisers and local businesses will be watching whether the momentum from October can be sustained through further attractions and improved conversion of footfall into spending.
