Ticketing for part of Awakening the Walled City at Derry Halloween to be introduced

The new pilot ticketing system was discussed by council members during June’s Business and Culture Committee meeting to help with the running of the Awakening The Walled City (ATWC) trail, which council officers said is “changing and becoming very difficult to manage”.

Last year members rejected a proposal to introduce tickets for the ATWC trail, with a £3 charge per person or £10 for a family ticket.

However this year’s Halloween programme, which celebrates its 40th anniversary, could require a ticket to access the trail.

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council confirmed that members of the Business and Culture Committee this month approved plans for officers to look at options for a managed ticketing system for elements of the Awakening the Walled City (ATWC) experience as a pilot approach to assist in managing health and safety at the Derry Halloween event.

"The system will be implemented in the areas of Bishop Street Car Park and the Upper Walls, where it will help deal with operational challenges such as extended queueing at entry points, pressure on narrow streets, gates and heritage structures and a reduced visitor experience at peak times. Officers will continue to explore cost recovery options for the ticketing solution and will bring back options for consideration at a future meeting of the committee.”

In a report to members, Council Officers said AWTC is an “operational success” but has become difficult to manage, with visitors stopping, dwelling, reversing direction and re-entering spaces.

The event’s growth in popularity has led to extended queuing at entry points as well as pressure on narrow streets, gates and heritage structures, leading, it was stated, to a reduced visitor experience at peak times.

Derry & Strabane Council proposed ticketing a controlled area, starting at Bishop Street Car Park, entering the City Walls via Stable Lane, with programming along The Grand Parade and exiting at The Apprentice Boys Hall at Society Street. Additional installations and exiting at the former Echo Echo building are also being considered.

There’s also an estimated cost of £15,000 for equipment and entry point management and £10,000 for a “detailed wayfinding system” for both ticketed and non-ticketed areas.

The report noted that the agreement with the Millennium Forum, through an existing Service Level agreement (SLA), will ensure “a locally managed offer, an existing box office solution and investment in equipment and infrastructure for future events that is retained locally”.

Council officers also confirmed that council will receive the maximum £100,000 Tourism Northern Ireland for International Funding.

The Halloween programme will include; Witchy Wonderland: A Disco of the Undead at the upper Derry Walls, It's In Our Bones, a “large-scale aerial spectacle” at The Diamond; and Walters Wake: A Jazz Funeral.

SDLP councillor Rory Farrell proposed approval and said that, as the “jewel in the cultural crown” it was essential that council run a safe Halloween.

“It's the 40th anniversary this year, Derry most definitely is the capital of Halloween, so really looking forward to it.

“We've had this discussion before about ticketing. From the SDLP's perspective this is something that needs to be pursued. We need to have a safe event and if there is a ticketing solution that's going to help us manage crowds, we’re fully on board.”

Sinn Féin councillor Aisling Hutton seconded the proposal and said Derry Halloween must be "enjoyable for all”.

“Not just the visitor experience, but I'm also talking about the experience, capacity wise, for the council staff who work day and daily around Halloween,” she said.

Councillor Hutton argued that ticketing will reduce congestion, “enhance the visitor experience”, while helping emergency planning, risk assessment and security.

“For the accessibility side of things, wheelchair users will have a better experience," she added. “We also have neurodiverse children and young people and also our older people as well, so it's important that they get to experience it.”

“But we will be looking forward to seeing how we can get around this ticketing issue, because it's for everybody to enjoy. We have to be seeing that everybody gets to access the tickets, but I am looking forward to seeing how that works out this year.”

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council later confirmed that members of the Business and Culture Committee this month approved plans for officers to look at options for a managed ticketing system for elements of the Awakening the Walled City (ATWC) experience a.

THe Council spokesperson referred to this as ‘a pilot approach to assist in managing health and safety at the Derry Halloween event. The system will be implemented in the areas of Bishop Street Car Park and the Upper Walls, where it will help deal with operational challenges such as extended queueing at entry points, pressure on narrow streets, gates and heritage structures and a reduced visitor experience at peak times’.

"Officers will continue to explore cost recovery options for the ticketing solution and will bring back options for consideration at a future meeting of the committee,” the spokesperson added.

Derry & Strabane will this year mark 40 years of celebrating and growing the festival, which is now the largest Halloween celebration anywhere in Europe and the biggest event on the annual Derry City & Strabane District Council festival calendar.

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter.