Bournemouth is officially celebrating another major milestone in its vibrant night-time economy, having retained its prestigious Purple Flag accreditation for the 16th year in a row.

This internationally recognised award serves as the gold standard for evening and night-time destinations, highlighting cities and towns that offer an entertaining, diverse, safe, and welcoming experience between 5pm and 5am.

A True Partnership Effort

Retaining the Purple Flag status is no small feat. Led by the Bournemouth Town Centre BID, the successful application brought together local businesses, BCP Council, Dorset Police, the Bournemouth Town Pastors, and dedicated community partners to demonstrate how the town centre is managed during the evening hours.

Assessors evaluated the town across rigorous standards covering safety, movement, dining, culture, and entertainment. Several key initiatives were singled out for praise during the process:

• Connected Evening Transport: Improvements to evening public transport, including capped fares and specialist staff stationed to guide passengers arriving in the area, helping visitors navigate easily and safely.
• Dedicated Pastoral Support: The Bournemouth Town Pastors, who are approaching a decade of operation, were recognised for their outstanding work supporting vulnerable visitors and helping young people stay safe on nights out.
• Family Events and Culture: Bournemouth's programme of free, family-focused events, such as the popular Pier Approach fireworks, which bring thousands of visitors into the town centre and provide a welcome boost to local restaurants, bars, and venues.

Victoria Sheppard, Night-time Co-ordinator for Bournemouth Town Centre BID, said: "Retaining Purple Flag for a 16th year is a considerable achievement and reflects the sustained work taking place to make Bournemouth town centre welcoming, vibrant and safe throughout the evening and into the night.

"Bournemouth Town Centre BID is proud to have led and enabled this year’s submission, bringing businesses and partners together and ensuring the work happening across the town is properly represented.

"This achievement reflects the contribution of the businesses, organisations and individuals involved in Bournemouth’s evening and night-time economy. It demonstrates what can be achieved through long-term investment, coordination and genuine partnership working."

Cllr Rich Herrett, BCP Portfolio Holder for Destination, Leisure and Commercial Operations, added: "To obtain Purple Flag status for the 16th year is a fantastic achievement. This is a testament to the independently assessed and recognised partnership working that takes place not just with Purple Flag but across numerous across projects and events. In challenging times it’s very encouraging to see all the hard work recognised in this way."

World-Class Evening Experiences

Bournemouth remains part of an elite group of around 100 Purple Flag locations globally, spanning the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Malta, Australia, and New Zealand. Managed by the Association of Town and City Management, the scheme gives residents and tourists alike the confidence that a night out in town will be memorable for all the right reasons.

Whether you are looking for a pre-theatre dinner, a family evening by the sea, or a late-night venue to celebrate with friends, Bournemouth continues to set the benchmark for evening hospitality on the South Coast.