Ebrington Hotel 'content' for concerts to go ahead in Derry

The events organisers issued a statement on Monday claiming they had been threatened legal action if the events carried on due to the failure to consult with the newly opened Ebrington Hotel. The Executive Office oversee the running of Ebrington Square and the hotel claim they were not consulted in relation to these events.

Four events were due to take place in August, Stack City Raves on August 5, Abba tribute gig Arrival from Sweden on August 6, Ryan McMullan on August 25 and Jika Jika on August 27. Is it understood Derry City and Strabane District Council are willing to co-operate with event organisers to allow the events to take place in St Columb’s Park.

A spokesperson for the hotel said: “Licences for use of Ebrington Square were issued, without notice, to entertainment promoters by the owners of the site, The Executive Office.

“The Ebrington Hotel understood that The Executive Office had a duty to consult with them in advance of any decision around the awarding of such licences. This did not happen in relation to the August events.

“The Hotel is committed to ensuring these events are successful and to add to the local tourist offering while managing its other commitments, for example wedding bookings at the Hotel.

“An offer to the promoters from The Executive Office to accommodate the events at St Columb’s Park followed the failure to consult and recognise the Hotel’s position.

“The Directors of Ebrington Hotel appreciate the challenges faced by The Executive Office and in an effort to find a resolution, on Monday this week indicated that they are content for the August events go ahead subject to agreement of conditions with The Executive Office and the Council.”

The threat of the events being cancelled sparked huge controversy during the week with the Ebrington Hotel turning off comments on their Facebook page and a huge number of one star reviews left for the hotel. Tripadvisor has temporarily suspended reviews on the hotel due to “an influx of review submissions that do not describe a first-hand experience” after a ‘recent event’. A protest has also been organised for Saturday afternoon outside the hotel.