Two thousand people and more than 60 bands are expected to turn out at a loyalist parade during the Open Championship in Portrush later this summer.
The parade, organised by the Portrush Sons of Ulster, will feature 64 loyalist flute bands the night before the finale of the major golf tournament on the north coast.
The Open, one of the four major golf tournaments and the only one to be held outside the US, returns to Royal Portrush in July having hosted the prestigious event six years ago.
Almost 280,000 tickets have been sold for the event which is being billed as the biggest tourist attraction of the year.
An application to the Parades Commission states that 64 bands will be in attendance at the parade on Saturday 19 July, with a total of 2,000 participants expected.
The parade will kick off at around 8pm from and progress through Main Street in the town, with the final and deciding round of the Open to begin hours after its finish.
Rory McIlroy who won the Masters earlier this month will be hoping to add to his major tally in Portrush. David J. Phillip/AP) (David J. Phillip/AP)
The event is one of the biggest dates in Northern Ireland’s tourism calendar, with the lucrative golf fan market rolling into town for the tournament between 13 and 20 July.
Tourism NI says the event is expected to draw unprecedented crowds to the north coast, and will bring a total estimated £100 million to the local economy.
A meeting of the local Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council earlier this month heard officials have been “working closely” with Portrush Sons of Ulster and the golf body Royal & Ancient (R&A) to facilitate the parade.
Councillors were told the local council’s own plans for music, entertainment and a pyrotechnics show would take place on the Friday night so they “wouldn’t compete” with the band parade.
“The plan, as it stands at the moment, is we are working closely with Portrush Sons of Ulster to facilitate the band parade which has been detailed for the Saturday night,” Director of Tourism at the council, Peter Thompson said.
“We don’t plan to have any other major activities or event activities on the Saturday night.
“We wouldn’t compete with that, there’s no point in competing with it. We’re going to have large crowds in Portrush until 11 o’clock at night on Saturday anyway.”
The R&A declined to comment on its involvement with parade organisers.
A band parade was also held in Portrush during the 2019 hosting of the event, with former CEO of the golfing organisation Martin Slumbers saying at the time in response to the parade that “as guests we are very conscious that we want to be part of the community.”
A Tourism NI spokesperson said: “We are aware that discussions are taking place with the parade organiser in relation to the scheduled parade in Portrush on July 19.
“Tourism Northern Ireland is not involved in these discussions, but will work with all partners to ensure the smooth delivery of The 153rd Open.”
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