£250,000 for ‘enhanced’ Derry Girls experience to open next October
Derry City and Strabane District Council members have approved plans for an ‘enhanced’ Derry Girls experience, which is due to open in October next year.
During a tourism update report to November’s Business and Culture Committee, Head of Culture, Aeidin McCarter, said officers have developed an ‘exciting concept’ for Phase 2 of the Derry Girls Experience, following the significant success of the initial exhibition at the Tower Museum.
This next phase will be funded through a £250,000 Capital Grants Scheme, as part of the Shared Island Wild Atlantic Way-Causeway Coastal Route Tourism Brand Collaboration Project.
Ms McCarter said Phase 2 will ‘expand the experience across the city’, providing visitors with a behind-the-scenes journey featuring authentic props, exclusive stories from cast and crew, and immersive augmented reality experiences designed to ‘drive additional visitation and economic impact’.
A recently-recruited Tourism Project Officer, whose role will have a focus on screen and food tourism, will provide ‘dedicated support’ for the delivery of the project.
“The Derry Girls Experience will continue to operate at the Tower Museum,” Ms McCarter said. “While the Spanish Armada exhibition closed in April this year and the Story of Derry exhibition will close to the public at the end of February 2026 to enable conservation work for the new DNA Museum, the Tower Museum itself remains open.”
“A dedicated marketing and communications campaign will be launched in the new year to inform citizens and stakeholders of the Story of Derry exhibition closure.
“The campaign will highlight the Tower Museum’s legacy and achievements and will include free admission in January and February 2026, to engage with schools, colleges, and community groups who have all supported the museum over the past 33 years,” she said.
Committee members approved accepting a Letter of Offer for the delivery of Phase 2 by October 2026, and granted pre-approval for the appointment of contractors to implement it.
Artefacts from the Spanish Armada were recently decanted from the Tower Museum to undergo important conservation works.
Objects from the La Trinidad Valencera collection taken to Belfast for conservation included the bronze siege gun, a smaller culverin and an original 16th century gun carriage wheel.