Every year, the best of international art comes to Belfast, shining a spotlight on the city’s vibrant and talented artists.
The Festival runs from the 15th to the 30th of October, and covers myriad art forms including theatre, dance, classical music, literature, jazz, comedy, visual arts, folk music and popular music, attracting audiences of 60,000 annually.
Visitors come from all around the world for these few weeks to participate in the event - or just to enjoy it. The events are held in 36 locations all across the city.
It all began in the 1960s, when Michael Emmerson, a young undergraduate, started running a small event on the campus of Queens University in Belfast - the students and the general public enjoyed the event so much that it eventually grew into what it is today.
The likes of Billy Connolly and Rowan Atkinson visited the event before they became famous, and Michael Palin said he would never take his one man show anywhere else, as he loved the event so much. It also gives Belfast’s local artists a fantastic opportunity to display their work to an international audience. It is said to be Ireland’s biggest arts festival, and promises to be a sixteen-day, fun-packed programme of events for all tastes and ages.
Festival Director Graeme Farrow showed his support and excitement for the up and coming event by saying: “The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s has an excellent reputation for presenting the best of Irish, UK and international culture each October. Northern Ireland has embraced the role of culture in its everyday life, and the overall benefits of such a successful festival to the city from a tourism point of view are obvious.
“But perhaps more importantly, this festival and the arts sector as a whole contribute positively to an image of Belfast as a vibrant cultural and economic capital, as a place that has a good quality of life and a place in which it is a pleasure to do business. Hopefully the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s prompts a little glimmer of civic pride.”
For more information on the festival programme or to book tickets, log on to www.belfastfestival.com or contact the festival box office Mon-Fri 9am-6pm and Sat 10am-2pm on 9097 1197
