Monthly Footfall Overview: February 2025

Bristol Light Festival helps boost footfall traffic in February

10/03/2025

Following our investment in Micro Location insights via O2/Virgin Media, two sensors have been installed on Victoria Street and Park Street, allowing us to better understand footfall trends across the city.

February brought a shift in visitor trends to two of Bristol’s key areas. Despite a natural dip in footfall due to fewer days in the month, city-wide events like Bristol Light Festival played a significant role in driving pedestrian activity.

 

PARK STREET

 

OVERALL TRENDS

Footfall on Park Street decreased by 11% from January to February,  primarily due to fewer days in the month. The daily average for footfall was 9,437, down 1% from 9,540 in January. Despite this, several key trends emerged:

  • Bristol Light Festival impact: The festival ran from 31 January to 9 February. Over this period, footfall was 25% higher compared to the half-term period. Saturday 1 and Saturday 8 February were the second and third busiest days of the month. The Ramandu’s Table installation was located on College Green, at the bottom of Park Street, likely contributing to the surge in visitor numbers.
  • Warm weather boost: Friday 28 February recorded the highest footfall in February, likely due to the warm weather.
  • Half-term dip: The weekdays during half term (Monday 17 – Friday 21) had the lowest weekday footfall in February. This decline is likely due to many workers taking annual leave during the half-term break, leading to fewer commuters and office workers in the area.

 

VISITOR DEMOGRAPHICS & BEHAVIOUR

  • A higher percentage of visitors were aged 18-64 compared to the national average, while fewer were 65+.
  • The most popular time to visit Park Street was 3-5pm on Saturdays.
  • 69% of visitors were classified as ‘out of area’ (visiting rather than working or residing nearby), a percentage that remained steady throughout Bristol Light Festival.
  • Footfall during Bristol Light Festival accounted for 39% of February’s visits, even though the festival only accounted for 32% of the month (the festival period included two Saturdays).
  • The average dwell time was just over 25 minutes, similar to January.
  • 46% of visitors were female, compared to 51% nationally

SPENDING POWER & TRAVEL PATTERNS

  • Compared to the UK average, Park Street attracted a larger proportion of visitors with ‘high’ or ‘very high’ spend power.
  • Compared to January, the proportion of visitors with ‘low’ or ‘very low’ spend power was higher in February, while the proportion of ‘very high’ or ‘mid’ spend power was lower.
  • 62% of visitors made 1 visit, while 32% made 2-5 visits, and 6% visited 6+ times.
  • The BS8 postcode attracted the highest number of visitors, followed by BS6.
  • More visitors to Park Street travelled from Bath, Somerset, Devon, and South Wales in February than January.
  • Spain was the top country for international visitors.

 

VICTORIA STREET

 

OVERALL TRENDS

Victoria Street experienced a 24% decrease in footfall from January to February, attributed to fewer days in the month. The daily average for footfall was 1,715, down 16% from 2,036 in January. However, there were a number of key trends:

  • Bristol Light Festival impact: The festival ran from 31 January to 9 February. Over this period, footfall was 70% higher compared to the half-term period. The Parallels installation was located at Temple Church on Victoria Street, likely contributing to the surge in visitor numbers. Saturday 1 and Thursday 6 were the highest days for footfall in February.
  • Half-term dip: The weekdays during half term (Monday 17 – Friday 21) recorded the lowest footfall of any weekday period in the month. This decline is likely due to many workers taking annual leave during the half-term break, leading to fewer commuters and office workers in the area.
  • Construction work: It is important to note that since mid January 2025, roadworks have been in place along Victoria Street, impacting key pedestrian routes. The works are due to last 15 months, which may affect footfall in the area.

VISITOR DEMOGRAPHICS & BEHAVIOURS 

  • A higher percentage of visitors were aged 18-54 compared to the national average, while fewer were 55+.
  • The most popular time to visit Victoria Street was 6pm on Saturdays, followed by 1pm on Thursdays.
  • 73% of visitors were classified as ‘out of area’ (visiting rather than working or residing nearby), increasing slightly to 74% during Bristol Light Festival.
  • Footfall during Bristol Light Festival accounted for 40% of February’s visits, even though the festival only accounted for 32% of the month (the festival period included two Saturdays).
  • The average dwell time was just over 39 minutes, compared to just over 31 minutes in January.
  • 45% of visitors were female, compared to 51% nationally.

SPENDING POWER & TRAVEL PATTERNS 

  • Compared to the UK average, Victoria Street attracted a larger proportion of visitors with ‘very low’, ‘high’, or ‘very high’ spend power. A lower proportion had ‘low’ or ‘mid’ spend power.
  • Compared to January, the proportion of visitors with ‘high’ spend power was higher in February, whilst the proportion of ‘very low’ or ‘low’ spend power was lower.
  • 78% of visitors made 1 visit, while 20% made 2-5 visits, and just 2% visited 6+ times.
  • The BS4 postcode attracted the highest number of visitors, followed by BS1.
  • More visitors to Victoria Street travelled from Gloucestershire, while fewer came from Wales compared to January.
  • Spain was the top country for international visitors.

 

While February saw a natural dip in footfall due to fewer days, Bristol Light Festival proved to be a major influence on foot traffic across both Park Street and Victoria Street. Warmer weather also played a role in boosting visits towards the end of the month. As we move into March, it will be interesting to see how other seasonal events impact visitor trends.

Our Footfall & Insights pages are updated weekly with the latest footfall data. Please refer to our Reports & Resources section for a snapshot overview of footfall in our Monthly Visitor Reports and an overview of spend behaviours in our Quarterly Spend Reports.

The expanded footfall data can be viewed through our online dashboard for more effective and informed decision making. Please get in touch if you would like more information.

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