Councillors approve Derry and Strabane’s Christmas programming

Details of Derry and Strabane District Council’s plans to celebrate Christmas 2024 have been approved by members of its Business and Culture Committee this week.

Christmas lights switch on events in Derry and Strabane in November and the Mayor’s Christmas Tea Dances in the Guildhall and St Patrick’s Hall in Strabane are among the highlights in a comprehensive programme.

The schedule begins on Friday, November 22 with the Guildhall Craft Fair and Derry Christmas Lights Switch-on before the Strabane Christmas Lights Switch-on the following evening on Saturday, November 23.

The lights in Derry will be turned on following a Christmas Procession through the city centre led by the Mayor and Santa Claus along with festive characters and Christmas themed mobile installations.

In Strabane, the switch on event will feature a full day of activity including festive animation, live music, choirs and local dance throughout the town centre.

Members attending the monthly meeting of the Committee in Council’s Derry Road offices in Strabane heard that the programming aims to complement the existing calendar of events during the festive season and enhance the Council area’s visitor and shopper experience.

A mix of quality programming and a strong marketing campaign will aim to maximise the economic opportunities during the Christmas period.

“The overall programming for both Derry and Strabane will focus on bringing local and visiting communities together and creating the space for shared inclusive celebration around the Christmas period,” explained Council’s Head of Culture Aeidin McCarter.

“The 2024 Christmas marketing campaign will have a strong theme of Gift / Shop Local and Share Joy, highlighting the vital role of supporting local businesses during the festive season.

“Building on the success of previous years, the 2024 festive brand will maintain the familiar and effective creative elements while integrating fresh messaging themes to keep the campaign engaging and relevant.”

The three day Guildhall Craft Fair is considered one of the most prominent showcases of bespoke craft items in Ireland and will feature a wide range of products created by craft designer makers and artists.

The Mayor’s Christmas Tea Dances are scheduled for Wednesday, December 11 in the Guildhall and Thursday, December 17 in St Patrick’s Hall in Strabane. 

The Mayor will also host her own Community Christmas Programming where members of the public can join her in the Guildhall and the Alley Theatre to celebrate the festive season, details of which will be released later.                         

A wide range of other Christmas events have been identified from choral events to Christmas movies around the district which will all form part of the city and districts overall Christmas programme.

A call out will also be made to other event organisers, promoters, businesses and cultural venues to send through their event details so that a comprehensive list of activity can be promoted through the Christmas campaign.

Members also heard that while a decision had been taken earlier as part of the rates process to not go ahead with a council Christmas market, officers have identified other community and city markets that are being planned and these will be profiled as part of the Christmas events schedule. 

From a marketing perspective, campaign activity will consist of extensive digital and social media strategies along with prime outdoor, radio and press features in order to reach target audiences.

The existing festive Christmas brand will be maintained and developed to fit with the 2024 theme and visual storytelling will be applied throughout the campaign to motivate, engage and excite.

A digital gift guide will be created to feature a ‘Shop Local Gift Guide’ showcasing products and offers from local businesses and will be widely shared across social media platforms, web and email newsletters.

The What’s On Derry Strabane social media platforms have a combined online community size of 99,000 followers and will therefore be a key platform used to promote the range of Christmas activity.

In addition, the What’s On Derry Strabane app will be incorporated into the campaign to provide event listings and useful visitor information. Marketing officers will work closely to engage and collaborate with key stakeholders such as Visit Derry, CCI and the BID in Strabane on promoting bespoke offers, deals, packages and competition prizes.  

The campaign and full programme will be launched in early November.For updates and the latest information on Council’s Festival and Events programming visit https://www.derrystrabane.com/services/festival-events.