The final attendance figure of 1,653,999 visitors has doubled the original conservative estimate of 800,000, triggering a commercial windfall expected to scale far beyond the projected £53m economic boost. Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald has confirmed that actual attendance has vastly outpaced expectations. Saturday, 8 August, marked the single busiest day of the year for Belfast city centre, logging 289,560 unique visitors. The initial £1m strategic funding from the Department for the Economy achieved a massive multiplier effect on direct consumer spending. Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald shared “the final post-event economic evaluation will comfortably surpass the original £53m projection, with long-term retail and cultural dividends predicted to reach up to €100m overall.”