A Tesco superstore, a run of everyday shops and a 7-screen cinema, all stacked under one roof on the banks of the Foyle — a dry, do-the-jobs stop right beside the Peace Bridge.
What you'll do — do a proper Tesco shop, run the everyday errands (chemist, card shop, phone shop, barber, butcher), grab a bite, and catch a film at the 7-screen Strand Omniplex — all without stepping back outside.
How long — it's an errands-and-a-film centre rather than a big day out. Half an hour to an hour for the shops; add lunch and the cinema and you can stretch it to an afternoon.
Cost & parking — free to browse, and its big draw over the pay-and-display streets outside is its own 450-space multi-storey car park, right on the door and covered.
Come ready — mind the hours: it's open 7 days, late to 9pm Monday to Friday, 8am–8pm Saturday, and Sunday doesn't open until 1pm (through to 6pm).
Where it really earns its place — the location by the Peace Bridge. Park here, do your bits, then walk out to the bridge, Ebrington Square and the riverside — the shopping is the practical half of a good Derry riverside afternoon.
Set your expectations. This is a compact, practical centre — a Tesco, a handful of local traders and services, a cinema. It's not the fashion-and-brands day out; for that, Derry's Foyleside across the water is the bigger centre. Come to Quayside for the shop, the film and the parking.
Check details before a special trip. The centre's own website has been offline, so Facebook (Quayside Shopping Centre, Derry) is the live channel for hours, events and the car park. Individual shops set their own times, and the line-up changes — ring the centre on 028 7137 4037 if a specific shop is the reason you're going.
Plan your visit
Just turn up — it's free, and it's open 7 days
No tickets, no booking — walk in off Strand Road any day of the week. The centre is open 8am–9pm Monday to Friday, 8am–8pm Saturday and 1pm–6pm Sunday, with the anchor Tesco superstore keeping the same long hours. Individual shops and the cinema set their own times, and the Strand Omniplex runs later than the shops. The 450-space multi-storey car park is the big practical win here — covered, right on the door, and open earlier and later than the mall itself. Hours shift on bank holidays and around Christmas — because the centre's own website has been offline, check the Quayside Shopping Centre, Derry Facebook page before a special trip.
Tesco superstoreEveryday shops & servicesSubway & a café7-screen Strand Omniplex450-space car parkAll under cover
Check on Facebook, not the website:
The centre's own site (quaysidecentre.co.uk) has been offline, so the Quayside Shopping Centre, Derry Facebook page is the live source for opening hours, car-park rates, and any Christmas or Santa events. Individual shops set their own times and the line-up changes, so ring the centre on 028 7137 4037 if a particular shop is the reason for your trip.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🛍️Reusable bagsYou'll likely leave with a Tesco shop — bags save on carriers and make the walk to the car park lifts easier.
💳A card for the dayFor the shops, the bite to eat and the car park ticket.
🧥A coat if you're walking onInside is warm and dry, but the Peace Bridge and riverside next door can be breezy off the Foyle.
🎟️Your Tesco ClubcardHandy for the big shop, and the Clubcard fuel and points if you're topping up while you're here.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Free to browse — you only pay for what you buy, eat and watch, plus the car park if you drive.
Opening
Mon–Fri 8am–9pm, Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 1pm–6pm. The Tesco superstore keeps the same hours; individual shops and the Strand Omniplex vary and the cinema runs later. Hours change on bank holidays and around Christmas.
Parking
Its own 450-space multi-storey car park on Strand Road, open earlier and later than the mall. It's a pay car park — check the current rates on the day, as the centre's site has been offline and prices aren't published reliably online. A good-value alternative to the pay-and-display streets around it.
Shops
A compact centre — a Tesco city-centre superstore plus a handful of everyday shops and services: the likes of a chemist, a card shop, a barber, a phone shop, a butcher and a homeware/bedlinen shop. The line-up changes, so check ahead for a specific store.
Food & drink
A Subway and a small café inside, plus the Tesco café and food-to-go counters. It's a quick-bite stop rather than a restaurant floor — for a sit-down meal, the Strand Road and riverside spots are a short walk.
Cinema
The Strand Omniplex, a 7-screen cinema right at the centre, so you can pair a shop with a film.
For families
All on the level and under cover, so it's easy with a pram. The cinema makes it an easy wet-afternoon plan; the Tesco covers the practical bits.
Getting there
Strand Road, Derry/Londonderry, BT48 7PX — city-centre side of the Foyle, right beside the Peace Bridge, City Hotel and Travelodge, and a short walk from the Guildhall and the Walls.
How long
Half an hour to an hour for the shops; an afternoon if you add lunch, a film and a riverside walk.
Questions
Before you go
Is it free to get in?
Yes — free to walk in and browse, seven days a week. You only pay for what you buy, eat and watch, plus the car park if you drive.
What time does it open on Sunday?
1pm — worth knowing before you set off. It runs to 6pm on Sundays; Monday to Friday it's 8am–9pm and Saturday 8am–8pm. The cinema keeps its own, longer hours.
Is there parking?
Yes — the centre has its own 450-space multi-storey car park on Strand Road, covered and right on the door. It's a pay car park, so check the current rate on the day, but it's the handy alternative to the pay-and-display streets outside.
What's actually in it — is it a big shopping centre?
It's a compact, practical centre: a Tesco superstore, a handful of everyday shops and services, a Subway and café, and the 7-screen Strand Omniplex. For fashion and bigger brands, Derry's Foyleside across the water is the larger centre.
Is there anywhere to eat?
There's a Subway and a small café inside, plus the Tesco café — quick-bite stuff rather than a restaurant floor. For a proper meal, the Strand Road and riverside spots are a short walk.
Why does it say to check Facebook?
The centre's own website has been offline, so the Quayside Shopping Centre, Derry Facebook page is the reliable place for opening hours, car-park rates and any Christmas or Santa events.
Getting there
Strand Road, Derry/Londonderry BT48 7PX — on the city-centre side of the Foyle, right beside the Peace Bridge, City Hotel and Travelodge. Drive straight into the 450-space multi-storey car park off Strand Road, or walk it in a few minutes from the Guildhall and the Diamond.
Quayside sits on Strand Road, on the city-centre side of the Foyle, and it does an honest job: a Tesco superstore, a run of local shops and services, the Strand Omniplex cinema and — the part locals prize most — its own covered multi-storey car park, right on the river's edge. It's the errands-and-a-film centre, not the fashion day out. If you want brands and a bigger mall, Foyleside sits a few minutes across the water. Quayside is where you park, get the jobs done, and get back out.
What's changed around it is the bigger story. When the centre opened in the 1990s, this stretch of the Foyle was working riverbank rather than somewhere you'd stroll. Then in 2011 the Peace Bridge arced across the water, tying the Guildhall side to Ebrington and the Waterside, and the whole riverfront turned into a walk people actually make. Quayside is now the dry, warm half of that: park under cover, do the shop, then step out to the bridge, the quay and Ebrington Square in a couple of minutes.
That's the case for putting a fairly ordinary shopping centre on a days-out map. On its own it's a handy hour. Paired with the riverside next door — the bridge, the Guildhall, the Walls a short climb up the hill — it becomes the sensible base for a good half-day in Derry, whatever the sky is doing.