58 | Countdown to Summer
Belfast Telegraph | 7 April 2017
What’son THISSUMMER...
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Lookingforentertainmentoverthe next few months? Eastermarksthe startofthe action withfamilyfriendly events. Here’s ourat-a-glanceround-upofsomeofthe highlights,fromEasterand beyond...
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NOW UNTIL APRIL 9, BELFAST Belfast Film Festival continues with unforgettable movie moments which for some lucky cinema fans, will have included seeing John Cusack in person. There’s still plenty of action in the festival’s closing weekend across a range of venues, see belfastfilmfestival.org.
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NOW UNTIL APRIL 9, NEWTOWNARDS This is the closing weekend of Ards International Guitar Festival and there are lots of events before the closing concert featuring Sarah McQuaid with special guests Eilidh Patterson and Brigid O’Neill. See www.ardsguitarfestival.co.uk.
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APRIL 14-16, NATIONAL TRUST From the Easter Fair at Castle Ward to the Easter Egg Hunts and family fun days at Florence Court, on Easter Saturday and Monday, there’s lots going on at a National Trust property near you. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk for details or follow @nationaltrust on Twitter for updates.
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APRIL 15, LISBURN CITY CENTRE Lego fans will confirm that Everything is wonderful at Lisburn’s Lego Extravaganza on Easter Saturday (www.facebook.com/ Lisburncitycentre)
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APRIL 15 & 17, SHARE DISCOVERY VILLAGE, CO FERMANAGH The centre incudes a trip on the Inishcruiser in its Easter Activities Tickets are from £8 per person if pre-booked. Call 028 6772 2122 or info@sharevillage.org.
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APRIL 28 TO MAY 1, BELFAST CITY CENTRE The Festival of Fools brings some of the finest and funniest street shows touring the world to Belfast, including Luis Brusca with his prize-winning clown show, the unicycling Flying Dutchmen and Mat Ricardo, the Gentelman Juggler. Acrobatics and circus acts from as far afield as Spain, Italy, France, Canada, Holland, Argentina, USA and England are among the acts performing for free. www.foolsfestival.com
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APRIL 30, SEAMUS HEANEY HOMEPLACE, BELLAGHY Fans of the best-selling books War Horse and Private Peaceful won’t want to miss author and former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo,
see www.seamusheaneyhome.com.
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Tiësto will headline this year’s Vital Festival
APRIL 27 - MAY 1 City of Derry Jazz & Big Band Festival features over 200 acts, including Imelda May, at 70 venues, www.cityofderryjazzfestival.com.
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one giant performance space with hundreds of musical performances of all genres in the streets, squares, venues, churches and communities. See www.musiccityderry.com or email info@deepfriedfunk.com.
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MAY 9-10, ST GEORGE’S MARKET, BELFAST The Spring Picnic Twilight Market returns with live music by local entertainers, chef demonstrations and arts and crafts.
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MAY 13, BANGOR Ards and North Down Pipe Band Championships return to Castle Park
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MAY 26-JUNE 4, BALLYCASTLE Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival brings lots of land and water based fun to the stretch of water off Ballycastle.
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APRIL 30, NEWTOWNARDS Jazz in the Gardens at Mount Stewart Estate. Bring a picnic.
JUNE 1, BELFAST Belfast Waterfront will ring with the sound of one of Belfast’s most famous sons and living legend of the flute, Sir James Galway. A Very Special Audience with Sir James Galway and the Ulster Orchestra is the closing gala event in the Orchestra’s 50th anniversary season. Tickets are available from www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk or at the Ulster Hall Box Office (028 9033 4455). A special VIP experience is also available, including private reception and dinner with Sir James.
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JUNE 10-11, LIMAVADY Danny Boy Jazz and Blues Festival
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JUNE 13-30, BELFAST Belsonic at Ormeau Park stars, among others, Arcade Fire, The 1975, Jess Glynne and The Chainsmokers. See www.belsonic.com.
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JUNE 21-27, DERRY~LONDONDERRY Music City returns this summer, turning Derry city into
Nathan Carter is among the big names for the inaugural Harvest Festival
JUNE 28-JULY 2, DERRY Celtronic Music Festival brings the best of electronica to a local audience. See www. celtronicfestival.com for announcements. JULY 12-16, NEWCASTLE The Soma Festival attracts great music and artists to the heart of the Mournes. JULY 15, CASTLE ARCHDALE A variety night with a difference will see Ritchie Remo, Outdoor Entertainment and Dale Thomas Comedy Hypnotist in action. JULY 22-23, DERRY Flavours of the Foyle showcases Londonderry’s fine food and drink producers, as well as the city’s musical talent.
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JULY 29-30, HILLSBOROUGH Festival fans are now booking their tickets for the annual extravaganza that is Sunflowerfest. This year’s event is themed A Parallel Universe and stars the Rubber Bandits among many other acts. See www.sunflowerfest. co.uk for the full line-up.
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AUGUST 5-13, CUSHENDALL Heart of the Glens Festival
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AUGUST 26, BELFAST Tiësto will headline this year’s Vital Festival when it returns to Belfast’s Boucher Road Playing Fields. Support includes Clean Bandits.
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AUGUST 27, BOTANIC GARDENS, BELFAST Belfast Mela (meaning ‘meet’) returns iwith a high energy, vivid and vibrant day out for all the family. The event celebrates NI’s increasing cultural diversity with a range of music, dance and food. Visit www.belfastmela.org.uk.
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Among the events in Northern Ireland... Hambly & Hambly, Magheradunbar, Enniskillen, will host a special reading by poet and author Maria McManus, alongside an exhibition of work from artists including Cathy Carman, Claire Falconer, Susan Mannion, Michael Hoy, Di Henshaw, Simon Carman and Matthew Gammon, and the NI launch of Ruth Le Gear’s art book, Water Senses.
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At Seamus Heaney HomePlace, Bellaghy, explore Reflections on ‘The Haw Lantern’, a site-specific sound installation by visual artist and curator Varvara Shavrova in response to a poetry cycle by Seamus Heaney.
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Paul Durcan is in conversation at Seamus Heaney’s HomePlace Bellaghy, on May 6. ✱ An exhibition of poetry and photography by Noel Connor and David Gepp, artists from opposite ends of Finaghy Road North, at Verbal Arts Centre, Derry~Londonderry.
AUGUST 26-27, ENNISKILLEN AND WESTPORT Harvest is a new two day country music festival split between Enniskillen Airport and Westport House. More than 30 acts are perfoming, including Miranda Lambert and Nathan Carter. See www.aikenpromotions.com for details.
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AUGUST 28-29, BALLYCASTLE The Auld Lammas Fair is one of the big community events at the close of summer.
Festival of Fools returns to the streets of Belfast
here will be lyrical waxings of all sorts for Poetry Day Ireland 2017 on April 27. Established in 2015 by Poetry Ireland, this major oneday festival includes more than 100 events across the country. This year’s theme is Poetry Connects, and everyone is invited to join in or link-up. Events include a Facebook Live poetry reading (www. facebook.com/facebookdublin) featuring names including former Vice President Joe Biden and Snow patrol’s Gary Lightbody. “We have been delighted and inspired by the enthusiastic response to Poetry Day Ireland to date. From Kerry to Derry more than 100 creative, inspiring and thoughtprovoking events will take place on 27 April,” said Maureen Kennelly, Director, Poetry Ireland. Poetry Ireland will distribute Pocket Poems to venues and anyone wishing to get involved in the day. Pocket Poems are 12 mini cards, each featuring a different ‘Poetry Connects’ themed poem. Pass on your favourite Pocket Poem or share it on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #PoetryDayIRL. Pocket Poems can also be downloaded at www.poetryday.ie, along with a handy guide by Niall MacMonagle. Poetry fans can look forward to a number of free treats at www.poetryday.ie. Log on to download a free ebook of work by 2016’s Poetry Ireland Introductions participants, new copies of the journals FourXFour and A New Ulster, and a special ‘Mix Tape’ of audio poems from Lagan Online and Poetry NI.
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AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 2, BELFAST Belfast Tattoo
A casual poetry recital in association with Women Aloud NI, an initiative which aims to raise the profile of the women’s writing scene, at Houston and Williamson Funeral Home, 117 Crumlin Road, Belfast. Share a Favourite poem - your own or by someone else at the Thyme & Co Café, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim. www.poetryday.ie