2020 Festival

Belfast International Arts Festival returned for our 58th edition from Monday 12 October to Sunday 1 November 2020 with a programme of inspirational events that responded creatively to the pandemic.

2020 was an extraordinary year. We worked with artists and partners to reformat and develop our programme for digital broadcast to deliver three weeks of online programming celebrating the very best in contemporary arts and culture from these islands and internationally. The programme featured an extended Talks & Ideas strand; theatre, dance and music performances reimagined for a digital audience; and developmental initiatives for artists from across the island. The 2020 edition continued to explore contemporary matters of interest to our audiences such as gender equality, multi-culturalism, representation, the climate crisis, and democracy.

Did you know you can catch-up on demand on 18 events from the most recent festival edition? There’s fascinating talks with new and established names in the worlds of fiction, non-fiction and poetry; reflections on Northern Ireland’s recent past; and work by leading Northern Ireland artists. You can catch-up on #BIAF20 on our YouTube channel.

Go to BIAF YouTube channel