The opening of the new £23m Stockton Waterfront urban park and the start of the 39th Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) this weekend have prompted a marked boost in activity and optimism among local traders and event producers.
Businesses report immediate uplift
Bookshop co‑owner Richard Drake, whose business has been on Stockton High Street for 11 years, said the town’s recent improvements have had a “massive impact” on trade. Since the park was completed in June, he reported a substantial increase in takings.
"From the week of the opening, we are up day on day. We doubled our takings last week in comparison to the same week last year," Drake said.
Others involved in the festival praised the new public space for reconnecting the town centre to the River Tees and creating a setting more attractive to both residents and visitors.
Festival and public space working together
The Stockton International Riverside Festival, which begins on Friday, will feature more than 100 performances over the weekend from local and international artists. Organisers and participants say the timing of the park’s completion has amplified excitement and created fresh reasons for people to visit the town centre.
Jennifer Essex, creative communities producer for one of the festival shows, described a transformation in how people use the new area.
"It's become what it wanted to be all along and it's just stunning," Essex said.
Stockton Borough councillor Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for culture, said the improvements were already yielding benefits for the town. The park aims to physically and visually reconnect the High Street with the riverside, supporting footfall to shops, cafés and cultural venues.
What this means locally
- Economic effect: Local businesses report increased trade immediately following the park opening.
- Cultural boost: The SIRF programme brings a concentrated burst of performances and audiences to the town over the weekend.
- Public use: New landscaping and seating areas are creating informal gathering spaces that encourage longer visits.
The combination of a major public realm scheme and a long‑running arts festival offers Stockton a chance to capitalise on renewed interest in its town centre. For residents and visitors planning to attend the festival, organisers advise checking SIRF schedules and arrival times in advance as popular performances may attract larger crowds across the riverside and High Street areas.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Park cost | £23m |
| Festival edition | 39th annual |
| Planned performances | More than 100 |
The arrival of new public space and the return of a major arts event underline a phase of change for Stockton‑on‑Tees. For independent traders, the early signs are encouraging — increased visitor numbers and longer stays could help sustain the town’s high street recovery over the summer months.
