Purple Flag guide in Waterford City

The prestigious Purple Flag was first awarded to Waterford City in February 2015 and is international recognition of Waterford’s successful, well-managed city centre. It can be seen as the equivalent of the Blue Flag awarded to good beaches.  The initiative is designed to enhance the vibrancy of the city centre in the hours 5pm to 5am.  It is a key element of the Waterford City Centre Management Plan.

What does this award mean for Waterford?

Purple Flag represents good quality evening and night time economy, where people can enjoy a safe night out. It is not about alcohol or anti social behaviour – it is holistic and caters for all ages.  This includes family entertainment, arts & culture, shopping, dining, pubs and nightclubs.  The award recognises the city’s wide choice of entertainment and leisure attractions.  In addition, it shows the range and quality of leisure offerings, restaurants, hotels, bars and clubs on offer.  It is public acknowledgement that our city centre is a vibrant place to visit and enjoy in the evening time.

How did Waterford secure the Purple Flag?

To get the status, Waterford was assessed under ACTM’s (Association of City & Town Management) stringent standards including:

• Cleanliness of the city centre open spaces/public realm
• Ease of getting into and out of the city centre for all
• Diverse appeal of entertainment, leisure, arts & culture
• How welcoming and vibrant the city feels
• How safe the city is to visit
• The strength of the partnership between agencies and businesses that operate in the night-time economy within the Purple Flag zone is key!

Goals of Purple Flag

Collaboration is one of Purple Flag’s key philosophies. The PF Working Group (made up of key stakeholders) is working towards the vision of a vibrant, safe and appealing city. We see the programme as a framework under which this vision can be achieved.

Why have a Purple Flag?

Purple Flag is the benchmark for good evening and night-time destinations and in many cases increases footfall and safety in the long-run. Centres that achieve such an award will be those that are vibrant, safe, appealing, well-managed and offer a positive experience to consumers.   Achievement of the status is of huge benefit to Waterford and all stakeholders are working together to ensure that the positive promotion of this award increases visitor numbers.  For example, this will help sustain jobs and increase vibrancy in Waterford. Our evening & night-time economy is a key lever of economic and social prosperity for Waterford.