ACNI Welcome

We are incredibly proud to be Principal Funder of one of Northern Ireland’s cornerstone Arts Festivals.

In its 64th year, Belfast International Arts Festival continues to be a platform for internationally acclaimed and new talent; a true celebration of local and global contemporary arts.

Just some of the international acts to look forward to include the acclaimed Orchestra Baobab from Senegal bringing Cuban and African sounds to Belfast; and the Northern Ireland premiere of Spectral Evolution from Portugal’s Rafael Toral – a celebration of ambient and experimental music.

The exciting launch of the festival’s new Immersive Arts strand, within Studio Ulster, platforms boundarypushing immersive work by BICEP and Earthsonic, Rory Friers, An-Ting and Ian Gallagher. Alongside this, there is a rich variety of visual art exhibits across the city, while the festival’s Talks and Ideas strand continues to celebrate Belfast and Northern Ireland’s artistic history.

Other highlights include home-grown artists and all-island collaborations of the highest quality, all of whom are welcome additions to this international festival platform. This includes Tinderbox Theatre Company’s adaptation of the Tennessee  William’s classic The Glass Menagerie; the world premiere of Nōs, a Luail production from Ireland’s national all-island dance company; and Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble’s Silence and Sound Waves, a celebration of composer Jane O’Leary alongside works exploring literature, mythology, landscape, memory and folk traditions. Just some of our incredible Northern Ireland and all-island arts organisations firmly centre stage.

This year also marks a new chapter for the Festival, under the guide of Artistic Director and CEO Chris McCreery. We look forward to enjoying his inaugural programme and his development of the Belfast International Arts Festival with innovative programme curation and as always, the best of international and local artistic talent across all genres.

We wish the BIAF team, local audiences, cultural tourists and artists an inspirational and enjoyable festival and many more to come.

Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland