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Arts & Theatre Events

Northern Ireland is a land of poets, writers and dreamers. We’ve given the world Heaney and Friel, C.S Lewis and MacNeice, and Booker-prize winning Anna Burns. We’re a nation of rock stars, pop stars and folk music legends. We’ve produced A-list movie stars, knighted theatre directors, won Oscars and even put Westeros on the map. There’s a vibrant arts scene happening here. So, here’s a taste of what’s going on.

Get arty and party in Armagh

Armagh has a penchant for showing off its rich Georgian heritage. Which is why The Georgian Festival is the perfect excuse for Armagh people to dress up in their finery and sumptuous period costume. Travel back through the mists of time with events like The Great Georgian Banquet, or horse and carriage rides along The Mall. And with a Children’s Christmas market plus a sparkling Christmas Light Show to end the festivities, it’s all very regal.

March is the perfect time for the Home of St. Patrick Festival. Not least because St. Patrick’s Day lands smack in the middle of the month. As his homeplace, Armagh is quite naturally and rightly at the heart of celebrating the life of Ireland’s national saint. It always promises and delivers a lively showcase of the best in culture, music, song and dance, plus a spectacular parade on the big day – March 17th. Time to get the shamrock and the face-paint out!

And from all things green to something more bluesy in colour and tone, the 7 Hills Blues Festival brings a summer festival of blistering blues and roots music events to the cathedral city. This unmissable weekend sees world class talent perform across more than 20 venues and locations. Best served very chilled.

Antrim’s art is in the right place

Music and storytelling are at the heart of the Saffron County’s vibrant art scene. And when you throw the richness of its biggest town – Belfast – into the mix, it’s a heady cocktail. Up in the glens they are rightly proud of their storytelling tradition. Which is why the aptly named Glens Storytelling Festival rightly celebrates and preserves this rich cultural heritage. The community event takes place over 5 days – well, they do have a few stories to tell!

Down in the valley, the Roe Valley Folk Festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of folk music, dance and traditional sessions. To make sure folk traditions pass on to the next generation, this festival is the perfect way to enjoy old and new folk, including fun storytelling and children events.

Along the coast, they have something to say and sing about too. Like, the Atlantic Sessions, a four-day music event across Portstewart and Portrush. Get your sesh face on with 50 artists in over 20 venues, and free performances from some of Northern Ireland's finest musos. And if you add the amazing three-day Live At The Beach music festival celebrating the beauty of the north coast, that’s a full week already! To chill out a bit, join local storyteller Kate Murphy and local musicians For Stories & Music Of The Causeway Coast. This evening of traditional stories, folklore and music celebrates all that’s good about the Causeway Coast and its landscape – of which there’s plenty.

In Belfast, it’s hard to know where to start for art. Maybe, the Belfast International Arts Festival is your thing. Come autumn time, even the leaves fall for its heady cocktail of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, film and music. You could spend your entire holiday allocation at the 2-week Belfast Film Festival with showings and events across the entire city. Or perhaps you’ll come for the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. If you like your fringe festivals socially inclusive and eclectic, then this mix of music, comedy, theatre, art and literature around St Anne's Cathedral may ring your bells.

You could head west for Feile an Phobail, aka the West Belfast Festival, celebrating the best of Irish and international culture around the Falls Road. Or go east for the Eastside Arts Festival for a summer festival showcasing the creative talent of east Belfast, featuring music, comedy, movies, theatre, workshops, and events for the young and old.

And while you’re there, the 5-day CS Lewis Festival celebrates the great Narnia writer’s legacy in his East Belfast hometown with lectures, exhibitions, spoken word and film screenings. Magical!

Find art in the heart of Derry-Londonderry

The walls of the city reverberate with the sounds of the coolest festivals and events celebrating Derry-Londonderry’s vibrant arts scene. Take the Stendhal Festival, a family-friendly grassroots festival highlighting the best in local and international music, art, comedy, dance, theatre, and loads more besides. Maybe the pageantry of The Maiden City Festival will rock your silk socks with its exciting mix of music, dance, theatre and pageant that brings the old city to life.

You could always let the vibes of the City of Derry Jazz Festival wash over you. Northern Ireland's biggest jazz festival brings distinctive rhythms to over 70 theatres, bars and restaurants, and on to the city streets! If jazz ain’t your bag, maybe the City of Derry International Choir Festival will hit all the right notes for you. Chances of that are high, with more than 60 choirs coming from as far as Belarus, Colombia, the Czech Republic and Indonesia.

Otherwise, just wrap yourself up in culture at Culture Night Derry-Londonderry as venues and public spaces across the city and district open up to free events. This all-island celebration has something for all ages and interests - from visual arts to music and dance, heritage, discussions, street art, tours and trails and family fun. And as one of only a handful of film festivals with Oscar affiliation and BAFTA recognition, the award for Best Film Buff Event goes to the Foyle Film Festival where moviemakers, animators and artists get to screen their films and network with industry pros. Get ready for your close-up!

They’ve got the arts thing down in Down

Over in Mourne County, the hills are alive with the sound of music and fun coming from every quarter. Down on the farm (that’s Tubby's Farm in Hillsborough to be precise), Sunflowerfest attracts its regular ‘Festafarian’ devotees to this three-day festival of open-air music, art and family fun.

If you like your vibes on the mellower side, then the Blues On The Bay festival in Warrenpoint is the place to drop anchor. This picturesque port plays host to some of the world’s leading blues and jazz performers. Or if you’re out in C.S Lewis country, the Fiddlers Green Festival in Rostrevor could be where the magic happens for you. This family friendly international festival of music, arts and culture in the scenic village has free outdoor ceilis, art exhibitions and full programme for children and older teens.

Speaking of the great man himself, the Narnia Festival Rostrevor celebrates all things about the author who was inspired to imagine Narnia by the landscape around this stunning area. So, check the back of the wardrobe for your flip-flops.

Fermanagh and Tyrone border on artistic brilliance

The counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone share more than a border. They also share a love of craic, culture and music. After a day out on the majestic lakes or trekking the mighty Sperrins, you will always find something to give your artistic brain a good workout too. Like the Bluegrass Omagh Festival. Taste the largest roots music festival outside North America with bluegrass masters from USA, Australia and Europe, and the best from the UK and Ireland. It’s finger-pickin’ good. Or celebrate the cultural diversity of Fermanagh with the delightful From Around The World exhibition in Enniskillen.

While you’re there, the Enniskillen International Beckett Festival is the world’s only regular festival celebrating the work and influence of Nobel Prize-winning Irish writer Samuel Beckett. So, what or who are you waiting for? Just go.

We could go on and on about how much art and theatre there is to be found everywhere in Northern Ireland. So we’ll leave it to you to find something special yourself – it won’t take long!

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Number of results: 23

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Experience Ards and North Down

Address

Various Locations, Ards & North Down, BT20 5ED

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9127 0069

bangorvic@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk

Type

Type:

Entertainment

Discover what Ards and North Down has to offer with a selection of fantastic experiences that allow you to explore fascinating places, enjoy delicious food and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Borough.

Dates

From:

6 Apr 2023to1 Jan 2025

More Info
The Derry Girls Experience

Derry~Londonderry

Address

Tower Museum, Union Hall Place, Derry~Londonderry, County Londonderry, BT48 6LU

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 7137 2411

tower@derrystrabane.com

Type

Type:

Exhibition

Visit the home of Derry Girls and discover where it all began! See original memorabilia from the hit show, like Erin’s diary, Aunt Sarah’s famous pyjamas and Ma Mary’s Woolworths sweater, not to mention the infamous Spice Girls costumes!

Dates

From:

4 July 2023to1 July 2025Open 09:00 - 17:30

More Info
Belfast 2024

Belfast

Address

Belfast, County Antrim, BT1 5GS

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9032 0202

belfast2024@belfastcity.gov.uk

Type

Type:

Culture & Heritage

Belfast 2024 is an ambitious cultural celebration made by the people of Belfast.

Dates

From:

1 Jan 2024to31 Dec 2024

More Info
Life Through a Royal Lens

Royal Hillsborough

Address

Hillsborough Castle, Royal Hillsborough, County Down, BT26 6GT

Telephone
0333 320 6000

hillsboroughcastle@hrp.org.uk

Type

Type:

Exhibition

Discover Life Through a Royal Lens, Hillsborough Castle’s first exhibition featuring a unique collection of Royal photography.

Dates

From:

9 Mar 2024to27 Oct 2024

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Drawing Support: Murals, Memory and Identity

Belfast

Address

Ulster Museum, Stranmillis Road, Belfast, County Antrim, BT9 5AB

Telephone
02890440000

info@nationalmuseumsni.org

Type

Type:

Exhibition

Political mural painting in Northern Ireland is the longest, continuous example found anywhere in the world. Bill Rolston has been photographing this tradition since 1981 and this exhibition showcases Rolston's photography of the political murals…

Dates

From:

29 Apr 2024to1 Dec 2024Various Opening Times

More Info
SUSPENSE

Belfast

Address

Ulster Museum, Stranmillis Road, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, County Antrim, BT9 5AB

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9044 0000

info@nationalmuseumsni.org

Price
Free

Type

Type:

Exhibition

SUSPENSE is an exhibition of twentieth-century and contemporary art from the Ulster Museum collection.

Dates

From:

10 July 2024to15 Sept 2024Various Opening Times

Price
Free

More Info
Tripadvisor Traveller Rating
27 reviews
Steam Whitehead

Whitehead

Address

Whitehead Railway Museum, Excursion Station, Castleview Road, Whitehead, County Antrim, BT38 9NA

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9358 6200

info@steamtrainsireland.com

Type

Type:

Family Fun

Visit Whitehead for a magical steam train ride and museum visit. Enjoy family-friendly activities and historic charm. Trains run every 30 minutes from 11:00 - 15:00. Book in advance.

Dates

From:
14 Sept 2024

More Info
Facilities

Parking & Transport
- Car parking
Facilities

Catering
- Restaurant on Premises
Eugene Onégin

Belfast

Address

The Grand Opera House, 2-4 Great Victoria Street, Belfast, County Antrim, BT2 7HR

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9024 1919

info@niopera.com

Price
Price £17.50 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Classical Music

A fully staged performance of Tchaikovsky's opera 'Eugene Onégin' produced by Northern Ireland Opera in the Grand Opera House, Belfast,

Dates

From:
14 Sept 2024Open 19:30 - 22:15
From:
17 Sept 2024Open 19:30 - 22:15
From:
19 Sept 2024Open 19:30 - 22:15
From:
21 Sept 2024Open 19:30 - 22:15

Price
Price £17.50 Per Ticket

More Info
Who Lives in a House Like This? – Blessingbourne Estate

Fivemiletown

Address

Blessingbourne Estate, Murley Road, Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, BT75 0QS

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 7963 1510

tourism@midulstercouncil.org

Price
Price £25.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

History

A special welcome will await you from the Lowry family home at the award-winning Blessingbourne Estate. In the Coach house Bronagh Duffin from Bakehouse NI will demonstrate her traditional baking.

Dates

From:
21 Sept 2024Open 09:00 - 15:00

Price
Price £25.00 Per Ticket

More Info
Roald Dahl Afternoon Tea

Crawfordsburn

Address

The Old Inn, 15-25 Main Street, Crawfordsburn, County Down, BT19 1JH

Telephone
028 9185 3255

reservations@theoldinn.com

Price
Price £45.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Food & Drink

Join us at The Old Inn for a delightful Roald Dahl Afternoon Tea, celebrating Roald Dahl Day!

Dates

From:

21 Sept 2024to22 Sept 2024Open 12:00 -

Price
Price £45.00 Per Ticket

More Info
Shadowdock

Belfast

Address

Thompson Dock, Queens Road, Belfast, County Antrim, BT3 9DT

info@shadowdock.co.uk

Price
Price £5.00 to £10.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Show / Display

Dive into an enchanting world filled with light, colour and sound on a truly Titanic scale. This September you are invited to journey 40 feet below sea level at sunset to the iconic dock where Titanic was built, to see and feel the world around you…

Dates

From:

26 Sept 2024to29 Sept 2024

Price
Price £5.00 to £10.00 Per Ticket

More Info
Amanda Croft Lecture Series: Romantic Reformers

Belfast

Address

Ulster Museum, Stranmillis Road, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, County Antrim, BT9 5AB

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9044 0000

info@nationalmuseumsni.org

Price
Price £50.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Talks/Lectures

Join Amanda Croft for this series of ten lectures from Tuesday 1st October to Tuesday 10th December in the Ulster Museum Lecture Theatre.

Dates

From:
1 Oct 2024Open 11:00 - 12:00

Price
Price £50.00 Per Ticket

More Info
Friel's Famine & Folklore Visitor Centre

Swatragh

Address

2-4 Kilrea Road, Swatragh, County Londonderry, BT46 5QF

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 7963 1510

tourism@midulstercouncil.org

Price
Price £25.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

History

Immerse yourself in 1840’s rural village life in Swatragh, meet Dr Mooney and his wife Sarah in their recreated surgery and discover the devastating effects the blight had in rural Ireland.

Dates

From:
3 Oct 2024Open 17:00 - 21:30

Price
Price £25.00 Per Ticket

More Info
Illustrated Talk: Huguenot legacy in Ireland

Killyleagh

Address

Sir Hans Sloane Centre, 23 High Street, Killyleagh, County Down, BT30 9QF

Telephone
07896254153

info@sirhanssloanecentre.co.uk

Price
Price £10.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Talks/Lectures

We are delighted to also announce that Tommy will give an illustrated talk at the Sir Hans Sloane Centre on the Huguenots, their times and legacy in Ireland. Exhibiting his art internationally, Tommy speaks on the history and the legacies of the…

Dates

From:
3 Oct 2024Open 19:00 - 21:00

Price
Price £10.00 Per Ticket

More Info
Bushmills Salmon & Whiskey Festival

Bushmills

Address

Bushmills, Antrim, BT57 8QA

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 2073 0390

Visitor.Information@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

Price
Free

Type

Type:

Food & Drink

The Bushmills Salmon & Whiskey Festival has the recipe for success with plenty of fresh local produce, cookery demonstrations, whiskey tastings at the Distillery and Naturally North Coast and Glens Market Artisan Market, as well as plenty of…

Dates

From:

4 Oct 2024to6 Oct 2024

Price
Free

More Info
Stargazing Evening

Armagh

Address

Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, College Hill, Armagh, County Armagh, BT61 9DB

Telephone
+(0) 28 3752 3689

reception@armagh.ac.uk

Type

Type:

Talks/Lectures

Join Armagh Observatory and Planetarium for a series of Stargazing evenings. For each session we will have a team of experts to help you navigate the night sky using our telescopes (weather depending) along with a dome show in our digital theatre…

Dates

From:
4 Oct 2024Open 19:00 - 21:00
From:
1 Nov 2024Open 19:00 - 21:00
From:
6 Dec 2024Open 19:00 - 21:00
From:
24 Jan 2025Open 19:00 - 21:00
From:
14 Feb 2025Open 19:00 - 21:00
From:
7 Mar 2025Open 19:00 - 21:00

More Info
Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Behind the Scenes: Library and Archives

Holywood

Address

Ulster Folk Museum, 153 Bangor Rd, Cultra, Holywood, County Down, BT18 0EU

Telephone
+442890428428

info@nationalmuseumsni.org

Price
Price £11.50 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Tour

Discover beautiful books, manuscripts, diaries and first-hand records in this special guided tour from our Library & Archives Manager.

Dates

From:
5 Oct 2024Open 11:00 - 12:30

Price
Price £11.50 Per Ticket

More Info
Whispers at the Wake: A Castle Ward Murder Mystery

Strangford

Address

Castle Ward, Park Road, Strangford, County Down, BT307BA

Telephone
03442491895

corey.mcgillian@nationaltrust.org.uk

Price
Price £55.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

Participatory Event

Step into the shadows of Castle Ward mansion for a night of suspense and intrigue.

Dates

From:
12 Oct 2024Open 19:00 - 22:15

Price
Price £55.00 Per Ticket

More Info
Facilities

Parking & Transport
- On site parking
Belfast International Arts Festival

Belfast

Address

Various locations, Belfast, County Antrim, BT1 1FF

Telephone
+44 (0) 28 9033 2261

enquiries@belfastinternationalartsfestival.com

Type

Type:

Festival

Northern Ireland's largest contemporary arts festival promises a compelling programme of drama and dance, topical talks with the authors behind the latest literary releases, classical music, toe-tapping folk and roots, independent film and…

Dates

From:

16 Oct 2024to23 Nov 2024

More Info
Homes in Focus: The Old Rectory

Holywood

Address

Ulster Folk Museum, 153 Bangor Road, Cultra, Holywood, County Down, BT18 0EU

Telephone
+44 (0)28 9042 8428

info@nationalmuseumsni.org

Price
Price £15.00 Per Ticket

Type

Type:

History

Join Victoria Millar, Senior Curator of History, at the Old Rectory to learn about the building's distinguishing features and discover what life was like for those who lived in it in the early 1900s.

Dates

From:
19 Oct 2024Open 11:30 - 12:30

Price
Price £15.00 Per Ticket

More Info