Agenda item

Event

Details

Date(s)

June

Belfast Photo Festival

A Public and vibrant hub of photography celebrating cultural diversity and identity through events / exhibitions for young people aged 8-16. Artwork from workshops bringing together south Belfast schools / ethnic minority community groups will be exhibited, encouraging participation, skills, inclusion and exploring / highlighting common values within the community.

04/06/15-30/06/15

UK National Piping Championships,

Stormont Estate

Only in its second year this Royal Scottish Pipe Band championship attracted 12,000 people in 2014.

13/06/2015

Ciclovia 2015

This is an international movement which promotes the closure of streets within cities in order to facilitate walking and, in particular, cycling on certain days in city centres.  It is proposed that an event to promote the movement takes place in Belfast on Sunday 14 June to mark the start of Bike Week in the Botanic Avenue/Dublin Road Area of the city.

14/06/2015

Belfast Urban Ballet

Belfast Urban Ballet will be a new event for the Belfast summer calendar, building on the past two decades of Beat’s parade innovation and international connections. It will be a festival of street bands and urban carnival choreography with dance and music performances in the streets and public city-centre spaces.  Delivered by Beat Initiative.

20/06/2015

July

Community Together Arts and Culture Festival

A Community based Festival of Culture and Arts relating to to the community.  Community led encouraging all members of the community young and old to take part in all events.  A show case of local talent and abilities from both young and old and culture awareness. 

01/07/2015

Belfast Tall Ships

500,000 are expected to attend ‘the event of the year.’ Total cost of the project is £2.3 million inclusive of Council support of £1.3 million.

2 to 5 July

Tullycarnet Action Group Initiative Trust (TAGIT)

Through feedback and surveys from the community, TAGIT aim to have a 5 day festival, that will include all members of the Tullycarnet and Ardcarn communities.  TAGIT aim to promote Health and Well Being, Education, Intergenerational activities, Cultural/ Heritage and strengthen Neighbourhood cohesion, for all residents. 

08/07/2015-12/07/2015

August Féile

August Féile is Ireland's biggest Community Arts Festival/Summer School. This ten day festival presents a wide range of arts and cultural activities, including music concerts, comedy, exhibitions, discussions, debates, youth &literary events, dramas, family, outdoor and community events, street performances, carnival parade, sports, tours and walks

31/07/15-9/08/15

August

Belfast Pride

The organisers wish to increase the scale and impact of the event and regard it as an opportunity to promote Belfast as a modern, tolerant and multi-cultural cosmopolitan city.

01/08/2015

Colin Summer Festival

A week long community festival that will cater for all ages that will include a community carnival and fun day, art workshops, cultural food tasting and craft fair, inter-generational trips, all ability sports days, Family walks, trips and visits to parks and museums for families.    

03/08/2015-08/08/2015

New Lodge Summer Festival

A week-long summer festival in the New Lodge area to promote the arts and culture and bring positivity to an area at a time when tensions can arise with an increased risk of anti-social behaviour - organised by Ashton Community trust.

06/08/2015-14/08/2015

Caribbean Week One Love Festival

Caribbean based festival with activities including story-telling/ Caribbean folklore, dub-poetry/ workshops and Caribbean influenced music & other performing arts. This event will highlight the growing Caribbean community and showcase the Caribbean’s history, culture and ability to contribute positively to enriching community spirit and tourism in Belfast.

10/08/2015-16/08/2015

Eastside Arts Festival

EastSide Arts Festival and Summer School 2015 will be a community-led exploration and celebration of the rich artistic and cultural heritage and identity of East Belfast designed to present a positive image of, and animate the arts in, East Belfast and promote social cohesion and regeneration.

19/08/2015-31/08/2015

Brian Friel Festival

An international destination multi-arts and multi-disciplinary festival celebrating Ireland’s greatest playwright of past 50 years in theatre, readings, talks & discussions, music, dance, food and leisure.  The leading play is Friel’s most popular play Dancing at Lughnasa in its 25th anniversary year to be produced by the Lyric Theatre Belfast.  Five mini-Belfests will come into existence responding to the themes and concerns of this one signature play:  (1) Amongst Women talks & discussions programme (2) Dancing Cranes outdoor dancefest (3) New Norths: Trade-Contemporary music from Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia and the Baltic (4) The Kitchen Table Foodfest (5) Michael’s KiteTanica Kite flying mini-fest

26/08/2015-31/08/2015

Belfast Mela

The Belfast Mela is NI's largest festival of world cultures held annually in Botanic Gardens. Attracting up to 30,000 people, the festival is an iconic highlight in the region's festival calendar, showcasing music, dance, crafts and food from over thirty nations across the globe.

30/08/2015

September

The Community Festival at Skainos

This is a weekend festival, to be held in the Skainos Centre in East Belfast. It will bring a wide range of activities to inner East Belfast residents of all ages and will also encourage residents from other parts of Belfast to visit the area and celebrate its cultural identity.

01/09/2015

Bounce! - Arts Festival

Bounce! Arts Festival 2015 will showcase new work by disabled and deaf artists, celebrating and inspiring talent and artistic excellence. Showcasing artistic excellence, with challenge, warmth and a quirky sense of fun, Bounce! is the first and still the only festival of its kind on the island of Ireland.

03/09/2015- 06/09/2015

Belfast Tattoo 2015

This is a new large scale event in the city which celebrates its Ulster-Scots culture and has taken place in the Odyssey Arena over the past two years.

04/09/2015- 05/09/2015

BBC Proms in the Park, Titanic Slipways

11,000 people are expected for the BBC managed live concert, on the Titanic Slipways, to mark the Last Night of the Proms series.

12/09/2015

Belfast’s Autumn Fair, Botanic Gardens

A two day horticultural and family friendly event in Botanic Gardens organised in conjunction with BCC Parks and Leisure.

12/09/2015 –

13/09/2015

Culture Night

Writer’s Square will be the focal point for community-led performances and activities, and a hub of outdoor activity and media attention on Culture Night Belfast (CNB) 2015. Community activity will be supported by complimentary programming and services to ensure an encouraging, welcoming and lively atmosphere for all ages.

18/09/2015

BabyDay

BabyDay will be an extraordinary day that will capture the imagination of the whole city. With art in the streets, music in the air and families everywhere, there'll be a real festival feel and Belfast will be one big bundle of joy!

27/09/2015

October

Draw Down the Walls

Golden Thread Gallery will present Invisible Barriers: Moving Images, a programme of films in unusual and surprising sites across North Belfast. This will include art films, mainstream movies and community-authored productions, inviting audiences to imagine a city without barriers.

01/10/2015

International Cinemagic Festival

Cinemagic will use film, television and digital technologies through screenings, workshops

and other participative opportunities to educate, motivate and inspire young people.

09/10/2015 –

04/11/2015

Belfast International Festival

This is an international multi art form festival taking place in venues across the city.

16/10/2015 – 01/11/2015

Nine Nights

In 2015, ArtsEkta will present a large scale multi-artform outdoor arts spectacle to tell stories from age-old Indian folklore. Nine Nights is being artistically produced in partnership with Walk the Plank, an internationally renowned theatre company credited with major cultural events in Northern Ireland such as landmark UK City of Culture event The Return of Colmcille. The free evening show will play out to audiences in Autumn 2015 and light up Belfast City Centre in a way you have never seen before.

24/10/2015

Halloween Metro Monster Mash, Titanic Slipways

An evening of family fun and entertainment culminating in a massive fireworks display at the Titanic Slipways.

31/10/2015

November

Christmas Lights Switch-on, City Hall

A one hour family orientated event, at City Hall, to mark the start of the Christmas festivities

14/11/2015

December

BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Odyssey Arena

Thousands will be able to avail of tickets for this iconic award ceremony, which will be staged in the Odyssey Arena and managed by the BBC.

20/12/2015

March 2016

Belfast Children’s Festival

Belfast Children's Festival is an annual international festival for children aged 0 - 14 years and their accompanying adults. Events take place both in and out of school time for schools, groups and families to attend. Young at Art is a leading arts charity presenting a wide range of arts events and activities all year round for children and young people in Northern Ireland.  Their annual Belfast Children’s Festival is back for the 18th year to light up the city with a colourful array of art and performance to inspire joy, creativity and curiosity.

01/03/2016

St Patrick’s Day, City Centre parade and Custom House Square

Now in its ninth year the Council organised celebration incorporates a parade and live concert from Custom House Square.

17/03/2016

Circuit of Ireland Rally, City Hall and Titanic Slipways

Three days of international racing that is part of the World Rally Championships, which starts from Belfast City Hall. 

24/03/2016 - 26/03/2016 -

TBC

Lord Mayor’s Event, venue tbc

Details of this  annual event are tbc with Lord Mayor, Cllr Arder Carson.  Over the last three years previous Lord Mayors have staged: a multi-cultural event, a live music day and ‘come-try-it’ sports show-case.

tbc