Culture is BIG in Belfast!
It’s official – we’re a very cultured lot in Belfast!
With 85,000 culture vultures attending last year’s event – a whopping 20,000 more than the previous year – the 2017 Belfast Culture Night, which is sponsored by Belfast Harbour, has announced it is extending its footprint beyond the Cathedral Quarter into the Harbour’s landmark City Quays.
In a move that will support the event’s year-on-year growth trajectory, the expansion will see a record 300 acts – 50 more than in 2016 – performing now at City Hall, Fountain Street, the Big Fish and Lagan Weir, Jubilee Gardens, and Belfast Harbour Offices, as well as in Cathedral Quarter, on Friday 22nd of September.
Belfast Culture Night was launched in 2009 and Belfast Harbour has been its primary sponsor since 2015. Jenni Barkley, Belfast Harbour’s Communications and Corporate Responsibility Manager, said:
“Belfast Harbour champions the arts and culture sector in Northern Ireland because it is such a great fit with our community outreach programme, fostering relationships within our communities, as well as boosting both tourism and business within the creative sector. We are thrilled that Belfast Culture Night has so rapidly become such a popular date on the City’s calendar and see the extension into City Quays, one of the most vibrant up and coming areas of Belfast, as a singularly positive step in growing and sustaining it for the future.”
In addition to hosting outdoor street performances, a range of venues, galleries, artists’ studios, churches and historic buildings will open their doors for exclusive events, talks and tours. Family events include a roller derby, American football, circus, Samba and live Parkour demos, and Belfast Harbour will have a mini Festival of Fools and stunt bike demonstrations from Thunder Action Sports.
Kerry Rooney, Culture Night Belfast’s manager, says entertainers and local businesses can’t wait to welcome the crowds to City Quays.
“This year will be our biggest Culture Night yet, and we wouldn’t be able to host this event without the help of our main corporate sponsors including Belfast Harbour. The larger scale will enable us to support and showcase our talented local community, and our team is looking forward to revealing further details of all the activities and performances as we get closer to the festival.”
For more information please visit: www.culturenightbelfast.com and to keep up to date with programming and future announcements follow @CultureNightBel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Share your Culture Night experience using the hashtag #CNB17 #weCNBmore.
