Game of Thrones studio tour gets go ahead and aims to be one of NI’s big three attractions

Planning permission has been given for a Game of Thrones studio tour in the Co Down linen mill where much of the series was filmed in Northern Ireland.
Sean Bean playing  Eddard Stark in the HBO production of Game of Thrones. Northern Ireland Screen/PA WireSean Bean playing  Eddard Stark in the HBO production of Game of Thrones. Northern Ireland Screen/PA Wire
Sean Bean playing Eddard Stark in the HBO production of Game of Thrones. Northern Ireland Screen/PA Wire

The decision was made by Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council for the construction of the tour at its site outside Banbridge.

Linen Mill Studios had been a functioned linen mill up until 2008. By the eighth and final series of Game of Thrones, around one third of the NI filming was taking place there.

The owners say the decision is an important step toward the opening of the major new attraction next year.

Developed under licence with Warner Brothers Consumer Products, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour at Linen Mill Studios hopes to draw some 600,000 visitors a year and help generate in the region of £400 million of tourism revenue annually for Northern Ireland.

It will also support 194 jobs, the bulk of which will be sourced from the local area.

Andrew Webb, managing director, said: “This decision paves the way for one of the most exciting visitor attractions in Northern Ireland’s history, one which will draw thousands of visitors from near and far, provide a host of direct and indirect jobs and underpin Northern Ireland’s economy at a crucial time.

“The Game of Thrones Studio Tour has already stirred the excitement of fans around the world and promises to play a significant part in rejuvenating the tourism sector on the island of Ireland in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“For Northern Ireland it adds a third major tourist attraction alongside Titanic Belfast and The Giants’ Causeway.”