Projects

Purple Flag & Belfast City Centre Night Czar

Belfast City Centre First Achieved Purple Flag Status in 2020, and was Re-certified in January 2024.

Managed by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM), the Purple Flag accreditation was renewed following an assessment conducted by assessors in November 2023 which saw the city’s three BIDs (LQ BID, Belfast One, Destination CQ) play a crucial role in overseeing and funding the application process, which included research, internal assessment, and gathering stakeholder feedback.

ATCM market research indicates that stakeholders believe Purple Flag status brings numerous benefits including a raised profile, improved public image, wider patronage, increased expenditure, lower crime rates, and a more successful mixed-use economy.

Successes noted in Belfast’s submission include the non-profit indoor park created in community hub 2 Royal Avenue, outstanding achievements of the Community Rescue Service, and coordination between police, volunteer groups, and businesses. One of the key areas for improvement is late night transport, with the current provision in Belfast lagging behind other comparable cities.

The Purple Flag Steering Group will continue to meet quarterly to advance solutions to some of the issues flagged in the Purple Flag Report.

For more information email stephen@linenquarter.org

 

The Purple Flag assessment has been funded by the city’s three Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) – Linen Quarter BID, Belfast One and Destination CQ and supported by a multi-agency steering group including Translink, Belfast City Council, the PSNI including its City Centre Beat, Street Beat Team and Licensing Officer, Hospitality Ulster, Value Cabs, Belfast Chamber of Commerce, and successful hospitality operator, Michael Stewart.

 

Belfast City Centre Night Czar

In June 2024, the three BIDs appointed Michael Stewart as the first Belfast City Centre Night Czar to lobby for the advancement of the Night Time Economy.

Michael’s career spans more than three decades including leading roles in some of the city’s most successful bars and clubs. He is currently the Director of Common Market Belfast and runs his own consultancy and training business for the hospitality trade, Bar Czar Limited.

Folllowing extensive engagement across various sectors in the first few months in the role, the Night Czar has announced 4 key priorities for the time ahead:

  • To develop and enhance late night connectivity around transport so that it will benefit those who work and enjoy the Night Time economy from 6pm to 6am.
  • Advocating for an End To Violence Against Women & Girls
  • Working with relevant agencies and statutory bodies to reinstate Culture Night in Belfast for September 2025.
  • Supporting the development of a common sense approach to Pavement Café Licensing

If you’d like to discuss any of the above or other issues in relation to the Night Time Economy, contact Michael at info@belfastnightczar.org or visit https://belfastnightczar.com/

 

For Night Czar Media & Press Enquiries Contact: 

Grainne Glenny, g.glenny@navigatorblue.com, 028 9024 6722