Belfast's International Arts Festival - A Great Reason To Visit Northern Ireland

As if stunning scenery, wonderful people and lively music wasn’t enough, Canadians this fall have even more reasons to visit Northern Ireland and Belfast.

The leader of the Belfast International Arts Festival touched down in Toronto last Friday to outline some of the amazing events taking place at this year’s festival, which runs Oct. 15 to Nov. 3, including world-class theatre, dance, roots and classical music, film and digital arts and literature.

“I’m delighted to share a preview of the wonderful cultural offering that BIAF is bringing to Belfast,” said Richard Wakely, Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Belfast International Arts Festival, now in its 57th year. “The festival prides itself on showcasing an ever-broadening range of perspectives and experiences, sparking conversations and enriching lives. We’re looking forward to welcoming Canadian visitors to a great autumn of world-class festival events.”

Wakely said there will be 130 events over 20 days – many of them free - and several premieres. The focus this year will be on French and Japanese contemporary arts, but visitors also will find aerial ballet, provocative art displays and perhaps even the odd mention of Brexit, he said with a laugh.

The festival is “for the adventurous and the curious,” Wakely said. “We’ll take you to the four corners of the globe, and then bring you back home to enjoy local talent.”

For folks who haven’t been in some time, Belfast has undergone remarkable transformation; with wonderful hotels, increasingly sophisticated restaurants highlighting local cuisine and new attractions. I had a great stay at The Merchant Hotel in town a few years ago. It’s a beautiful property housed in a former bank building, with a dining room built into a massive vault filled with ornate decorations all around. The hotel is located in the lively Cathedral Quarter, a fabulous walking district with great people-watching and plenty of great pubs, including The Spaniard.

Wakely said the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival has been running for 20 years.

Titanic Belfast is a renowned museum/visitor centre that serves as a monument to the city’s maritime heritage and to the memory of the ill-fated ship, built in the city’s Harland and Wolff shipyard.

Roughly one in four Canadians who visit Ireland include Northern Ireland in their itinerary, said Dana Welch, Manager, Tourism Ireland. Canadian visits to Northern Ireland last year were up 8% over 2017.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for those seeking a unique, artistic experience in addition to experiencing all that Northern Ireland has to offer," she said.

Increased air lift from Canada to Ireland has been a huge help to the country’s tourism sector. WestJet recently launched direct Calgary-Dublin flights on their new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Direct service to Ireland also is available from Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Hamilton (with Norwegian Air), Welch said.