SummerFest Hamilton – Over 40 Activities Now Listed

SummerFest Hamilton kicks off on Wednesday 1st July, bringing a month of events, activities and family-friendly experiences to Hamilton town centre.

We now have over 40 activities and events listed as part of the programme, showcasing the fantastic range of activities happening across the town throughout July.

The purpose of SummerFest is simple: to showcase Hamilton at its best, encourage people into the town centre, support local businesses, and highlight the brilliant activity already taking place across our community. From children’s activities and cultural events to retail offers, community projects and family entertainment, SummerFest is about creating reasons for people to visit, stay longer and discover more of what Hamilton has to offer.

SummerFest is a great opportunity to bring people into Hamilton, support local, and celebrate the town centre.

Across July, we will also be promoting Hamilton on Go Radio, across our Hamilton Our Town social media channels, and through a separate SummerFest Hamilton festival website, helping to raise awareness of the programme, encourage visits to the town centre, and shine a spotlight on Hamilton as a place to visit, enjoy and keep it local.

It is not too late to get involved. If your business, venue or organisation is running an activity, event, promotion or community project during July, please let us know so it can be considered for inclusion in the SummerFest listings.

You can also check out the festival website for the latest programme and updates. https://hamiltonevents.my.canva.site/summerfest26/

Hamilton Summer Gala Day – Saturday 4th July

The festival will be officially launched with Hamilton Summer Gala Day on Saturday 4th July on Quarry Street, running from 10am to 4pm.

The day will bring music, entertainment, stalls, children’s activities and community fun into the heart of the town centre, helping to create a lively and welcoming atmosphere for visitors and families.

Please note that Quarry Street will be closed to vehicles from 05:30 until 19:00 on the day to allow for event set-up, delivery and safe event management. We would encourage businesses to plan ahead for deliveries, access and any staff or customer arrangements during this period.

There is still time for businesses, third sector organisations and community groups to participate in the day, whether through a stall, activity, promotion, display or other involvement.

Lanarkshire Pride – Saturday 1st August

SummerFest will close with Lanarkshire Pride, taking place in Hamilton town centre on Saturday 1st August.

Run by Lanarkshire Pride CIC, the event has grown to become one of Hamilton’s busiest and most visible events of the year, bringing thousands of people into the town centre for a day of celebration, inclusion, entertainment and community activity.

There are opportunities for businesses and organisations to get involved, including sponsorship, stalls, community participation, promotional activity and wider support. For more info contact info@lanarkshirepride.co.uk

Scotland Loves Local Campaign

Thank you to everyone who got involved in our recent Scotland Loves Local campaign.

The campaign helped celebrate Hamilton’s local businesses, encourage people to support the town centre, and promote the importance of keeping it local. We were also delighted with the success of our Scotland Loves Local event in the Regent Centre, which brought people into the town centre and created a positive opportunity to showcase local businesses and community activity.

Thank you to everyone who took part, supported the campaign or helped share the Scotland Loves Local message.

Footfall Update

The latest footfall data shows that Hamilton town centre is performing broadly in line with last year, with year-to-date footfall at just 0.7% below the previous year.

This compares positively with both the Scottish and UK year-to-date averages, which are both currently sitting at -1.0%.

Quarry Street continues to perform ahead of expectations with May’s footfall reaching 155,811, up 20.85% on the previous year, with year-to-date footfall also up by around 19%. Estimated information provided by placeinformatics.

Business Photography and Social Media Promotion

Hamilton Our Town continues to support town centre businesses through photography, social media content and promotional activity across our channels. 

If you are not part of the scheme – to be added to the list or to arrange a photography visit, please contact gavin@hamiltonbid.org.