Council Christmas and New Year service arrangements confirmed

Derry City and Strabane District Council have issued information relating to its services over the Christmas and New Year period.

Civic Offices

The Council’s Civic Offices on Strand Road, Derry, and Derry Road, Strabane, will close from Wednesday 24th December reopening on Monday 29th December. Offices will also be closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday 1 January 2026.

Bin Collection Services

To accommodate the festive holidays, there will be some changes will be made to household bin collections:

• Blue and Brown bins scheduled for Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December) will instead be collected on Saturday 20th December.
• Blue and Brown bins scheduled for Boxing Day (Friday 26 December) will be collected on Saturday 27th December.
• Black and Brown bins due on New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January 2026) will be collected on Saturday 3rd January.

Recycling Centres

All Recycling Centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.

Christmas Eve (Wed 24 Dec) & New Year’s Eve (Wed 31 Dec):

• Pennyburn, Strahan’s Road, Strathfoyle will close at 4pm
• All other sites will close at 2pm
• On all other days throughout the festive period, Recycling Centres will operate as normal.

We kindly ask the public to remain patient and considerate, as staffing levels may be reduced over the Christmas holidays. Staff will not tolerate abusive or discourteous behaviour.

Cemeteries and Parks

All Council-managed cemeteries and parks will operate as normal throughout the festive season.

Registry Offices

The Registration of Births and Deaths office in Derry will close on Wednesday 24th December and reopen on Friday 2nd January. Strabane Registry Offices will close on Wednesday 24th December and reopen on Monday 5th January.

Please note that the Derry office will be opened for emergency death registration appointments only on 29th, 30th and 31st December from 10am-12:30pm. 

Guildhall and Tower Museum

The Guildhall and Tower Museum will operate adjusted opening hours throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

From Monday 22 to Tuesday 23 December, the Tower Museum will welcome visitors until its last entry at 4pm, while the Guildhall will remain open until 5pm. Both venues will then close from Wednesday 24 to Friday 26 December for the Christmas holidays.

They will reopen from Saturday 27 to Wednesday 31 December, with the Tower Museum again offering last entry at 4pm and the Guildhall at 5pm. On Thursday 1 January 2026, both buildings will close for New Year’s Day before reopening from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 January under the same festive hours. Normal opening times for both venues will resume on Monday 5 January.

The Guildhall offers free admission year-round, with guided tours available to book in advance for £3 per person.
Admission to the Tower Museum is £6 for adults, £4 for concessions, £3 for children, or £16 for families (two adults and up to four children). Although the museum operates primarily as a self-guided experience, guided tours can also be arranged in advance for £3 per person. Tickets for the Tower Museum can be booked online at www.towermuseumcollections.com.

Both venues accept credit and debit card payments.

Leisure Services

All Leisure Centres across the Council area will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve, Brooke Park, Foyle Arena, Templemore SC, Riversdale LC, Melvin SC and Derg Valley LC will all be open. The rest of Council sites will be closed.

Saturday 27th December

• Open: Foyle Arena, Templemore SC, Riversdale LC, Melvin SC and Derg Valley LC
• Closed: Bishops Field, Daisyfield Sports Centre, Waterside Shared Village, Brandywell, Brooke Park, City Baths

Sunday 28th December

• Open: Brooke Park, Foyle Arena, Templemore SC, Riversdale LC, Melvin SC and Derg Valley LC
• Closed: Bishops Field, Daisyfield Sports Centre, Waterside Shared Village and Brandywell.

Monday 29th December

• Open: Daisyfield Sports Centre, Brandywell, Brooke Park, Foyle Arena, Templemore SC, Riversdale LC, Melvin SC and Derg Valley LC
• Closed: Bishops Field, Waterside Shared Village, City Baths

Tuesday 30th December

• Open: Daisyfield Sports Centre, Brandywell, Brooke Park, Foyle Arena, Templemore SC, Riversdale LC, Melvin SC and Derg Valley LC
• Closed: Bishops Field, Waterside Shared Village, City Baths

Dog Warden

The Council will continue to provide its Out of Hours Service for ongoing dog attacks on persons or animals throughout the Christmas period. If you require this service, please contact 07734 128096.

Whilst there is no obligation to respond to other serious matters outside normal hours, the Dog Warden may do so following an assessment of any voicemail messages left.

Mayor’s Message

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Ruairí McHugh, shared his Christmas wishes with residents and encouraged everyone to check the updated service schedules over the festive period.

“Most of our services will be running as normal, with just a few small changes to give our staff some well-deserved time with their families. We’d really appreciate everyone’s help by putting bins out on time and being patient at our recycling centres, which are always a bit busier over Christmas. I want to thank our hard-working staff for everything they do throughout the year, and I hope everyone across the district enjoys a peaceful and relaxing Christmas break.

“As we all take time to slow down and spend it with the people who matter most, I want to wish everyone good health, plenty of happiness, and a really enjoyable Christmas and New Year.”

The public are encouraged to download the updated Derry Strabane Recycling App for the latest service updates over the festive period.

For full Christmas and New Year opening hours, visit: www.derrystrabane.com/opening-hours.