Omagh to miss out on Halloween fireworks display again

OMAGH will once again miss out on a Halloween fireworks display next month.

However, Enniskillen will hold a privately-funded event organised by the town’s Business Improvement District (BID), similar to an arrangement in 2024. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council last hosted fireworks displays in both towns in 2019, at a total cost of £41,000.

Earlier this year, the council was asked to explore the possibility of reinstating the annual publicly funded events. A report on the matter was presented at the council’s Regeneration and Community Committee meeting tonight.

The report noted that an additional £50,000 had been allocated to the council’s events budget for the current financial year.

“The Events Strategy Working Group reviewed options for utilizing this additional funding at its February 2024 meeting and agreed to direct the £50,000 to the sponsorship budget to support new and existing events across the district, rather than to deliver Halloween fireworks displays,” the report states.

This approach was approved by the Regeneration and Community Committee in March 2024.

During the 2025/26 budget discussions, members confirmed that this decision should remain unchanged, and no additional funds were allocated for council-led Halloween fireworks displays in either Enniskillen or Omagh.

Currently, Halloween programming is delivered through council venues via seasonal events, workshops, talks, and tours, complemented by sponsorship opportunities available to external event organizers.

In 2024, Halloween events in Enniskillen, including a fireworks display, were delivered by Enniskillen BID with support from the council’s sponsorship scheme. Enniskillen BID received £6,000 in sponsorship this year for Halloween-related activities and also secured private sector funding for the fireworks display. This successful model is planned to continue in 2025.

However, the council report highlights challenges for a similar Halloween fireworks event in Omagh.

“The council engaged with Omagh Chamber of Commerce to explore a similar approach, but the Chamber indicated it does not have the capacity to lead such an initiative, focusing instead on business advocacy and local promotion,” the report states.

Members have previously requested officers to re-engage with the Department for Communities, Omagh Chamber of Commerce, and other stakeholders to explore the possibility of establishing a BID in Omagh, which could facilitate fireworks displays similar to Enniskillen’s.

Should members wish to revisit council-led Halloween fireworks in both towns, a decision would need to be made during the 2026/27 budget process.

The report estimates that two ten-minute fireworks displays in Omagh and Enniskillen would cost approximately £60,000, covering fireworks, stewarding, first aid, staging, sound, entertainment, and marketing.

Councillors have requested that next year’s budget process include exploring business sponsorship opportunities to help fund a fireworks display in Omagh.

Speaking at the meeting, Omagh councillor Marty McColgan urged the council to approach large businesses in the town about sponsoring future Halloween events.

“As an Omagh town councillor, I am eager to see the return of a fireworks display here. I don’t believe residents are concerned about who funds it. I propose the council engages with major firms in Omagh to explore sponsorship opportunities for future events,” he said.

His proposal was seconded and supported by councillor Barry McElduff, who also raised the prospect of establishing a BID in Omagh.

Cllr Victor Warrington of the UUP expressed the view that next year, the council should consider funding a fireworks display directly, without relying on private sector sponsorship.