Derry City and Strabane District Council rejected a funding application from the Strabane Drama Festival. The decision came on the same day the council announced plans for Strabane to bid for UK Town of Culture status in 2027.

Aodh McCay, a leading figure in the festival, stated the rejection occurred on Thursday morning. He noted the festival applied through the Large-Scale Local Events stream under the Headline process. McCay said the council provided two reasons: the application did not succeed and funds ran out.

The festival marks its 40th anniversary in 2027. Organisers planned a belated celebration after the Alley Theatre closed for repairs this year. McCay questioned the decision given the festival's status as Strabane's longest-running cultural event.

He highlighted funding approvals for drama festivals in Omagh and Carrickmore by neighbouring councils. Those events included hosting the All-Ireland Confined Finals.

A council spokesperson confirmed the application met the quality threshold. The spokesperson attributed the rejection to insufficient funds in a competitive grant process. The process uses a scoring system approved by the Business and Culture Committee.

The spokesperson addressed separate funding for Derry Halloween, noting it as a one-off from local rates. The council plans a feedback session with the festival committee next week.