Council says Omagh Halloween fireworks display would cost £30,000

THE local council says having ten-minute Halloween fireworks displays in Omagh and Enniskillen would cost £60,000 in total.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council last staged fireworks displays in the towns in 2019 – at an overall cost of £41,000.

Earlier this year, the council was asked to look at the potential of reinstating the annual publicly-funded events, and a report on the matter will come before a meeting of the council’s Regeneration and Community Committee tomorrow.

Any decision would be too late for this Halloween, as the lead-in time to get the events organised would be insufficient.

The report states that an additional £50k was allocated to the council’s events budget for the current financial year.

“The Events Strategy Working Group considered options for the deployment of this financial resource, at its meeting of February 2024, and agreed that the additional £50k would be directed to the sponsorship budget to support new events and grow existing events across the district, rather than deliver Halloween firework displays.

“This preferred option was agreed by the Regeneration and Community Committee at its meeting of March 2024.

“As part of the 2025/26 Estimates process, Members expressed the view that the March 2024 decision should be maintained. Therefore, no additional provision was made in the 2025/26 Estimates process for the provision of Council delivered Halloween firework displays in Enniskillen or Omagh.

“Current Halloween specific programming is delivered through the Council’s venues as seasonal events, workshops, talks, and tours and is also supported through Events and Festivals Sponsorship available to external organisers.”

The report states that Halloween events, including a fireworks display, were delivered in Enniskillen in 2024 by Enniskillen Business Improvement District (BID).

“These were supported through the Council’s Sponsorship scheme. Enniskillen BID has been awarded £6,000 sponsorship in this current year for activities and events linked to Halloween.

“Enniskillen BID also delivered a fireworks display, funded through private sector sponsorship. These arrangements worked well in 2024 and the same arrangements are planned for 2025.”
However, the council report highlights issues around a possible Halloween fireworks display in Omagh.

“The Council has engaged with Omagh Chamber of Commerce to explore a similar approach; however, the Chamber has advised that it does not have the capacity to lead such an initiative, as its focus remains on business advocacy and promotion of Omagh and its surrounding areas.

“Members have previously requested that Officers re-engage with the Department for Communities, Omagh Chamber of Commerce and other relevant bodies to explore the possibility of establishing a BID in Omagh, which could ultimately provide a mechanism for a fireworks display to be held, similar to the arrangement in Enniskillen.

“Should Members wish to revisit the direct delivery of Halloween firework displays in Enniskillen and Omagh, a decision would be required as part of the 2026/27 budget setting process.”

The report states that to have two ten-minute fireworks displays in Omagh and Enniskillen would cost a total of £60,000.

This would include the cost of the fireworks themselves, as well as operational costs such as stewarding, first aid, staging, sound, animation, entertainment, and marketing.