EastSide Arts Festival celebrates its 10th birthday this summer, 4th –14th August and is hosting a range events to suit all the family.
Packed full of unique, exciting events, festival goers will enjoy music, theatre, film, literature, walks, talks & tours, comedy & cabaret, family
focused and community events for all ages.
The celebrations will feature over 100 artists across more than 80 events taking place in a range of venues in east Belfast including: Strand Arts
Centre, Vault Artist Studios, The Ballyhackamore Social Club, Banana Block (Portview Trade Centre), C.S. Lewis Square and many more.
The EastSide Arts Festival is supported by Principal Funder, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, funders Belfast City Council, National Lottery Awards
for All and Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, Principal Sponsor Translink, sponsors Connswater and Hewitt & Gilpin.
With the 10th birthday celebrations in mind, here’s some of the key events not to be missed at this year’s festival:
Hot House Flowers Thursday 4 th August, Banana Block, Portview Trade Centre: Having headlined the festival in 2018, EastSide Arts Festival is delighted to have this brilliant live band back to open the festival in their 10th birthday year.
OPTIMO Friday 5 th August, Banana Block, Portview Trade Centre. Optimo are regarded as one of the most important names in contemporary club culture, partly thanks to their seminal Sunday night party at Sub Club in Glasgow. Optimo will be joined by The Night Institute DJs for their first gig in east Belfast.
Park Fest, Saturday 6 th August, C.S. Lewis Square & Orangefield Park. Get your birthday hats and party blowers at the ready for a
day of family-friendly creative fun for all ages. Park Fest, delivered alongside EastSide Greenways, will include two family events at C.S. Lewis Square and Orangefield Park and animation along the Connswater Community Greenway linking the two main locations.
Otter Debauchery presents Peninsula, Friday 5 th August, Vault Artist Studios. This is a highlight of this year’s programme of events at Vault Artist Studios. Dan Leith/Otter Debauchery will present a new live musical comedy special filled with sardonic wit, honest anecdotes, crude humour, and catchy tunes. Tackling issues such as love, life, saving the planet and being from Belfast.
Hairspray [2007] Thursday 4 th August, Strand Arts Centre. This special screening will celebrate the 15 th birthday of this hilarious comedy, with a special live performance from resident dance and drama school, Ni Stars! Teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after winning a spot on a local TV dance show.
David Hull Promotions Presents Cash Returns – The Johnny Cash & June Carter Tribute Show, Thursday 11 th August, C.S. Lewis Square. Cash Returns will kick off the series of ‘Live @ C.S. Lewis Square’ events in style. JP Mac (Johnny Cash) and Karen Martin (June Carter) have been hailed as the most exciting Johnny Cash & June Carter Tribute in the UK, Ireland and beyond. This is an event not to be missed by Man In Black fans.
William Leatham, Vice Chair, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented “Thanks to the National Lottery, the Arts Council, as principal funder, is
proud to support EastSide Arts and this wonderful flagship festival. EastSide Arts continue to deliver their vision for the creative transformation of the east of the city, based on the power of great art to inspire people and bring us all closer together. Eleven amazing festival days – supported by 365 days of concentrated work behind the scenes, engaging local communities in the arts and building strategic partnerships with cultural organisations across the city. Happy 10th birthday! Enjoy the celebrations, everyone.”
Director of the EastSide Arts Festival, Rachel Kennedy added “We are delighted to invite everyone to join us as at this year’s EastSide Arts Festival as we celebrate our 10 th birthday. As always, we are bringing festival goers a jam-packed programme of events that celebrate the people and places of east Belfast and encourage connection and celebration. The festival provides us with the opportunity to showcase the very best of east Belfast as a place of creativity, a place that is vibrant and a place that is welcoming. A huge thanks to our Principal Funder, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Principal Sponsor, Translink for their invaluable support, and the vital support of all of the festival funders and sponsors who have helped the festival reach this incredible landmark.”
For the full festival programme and ticket information visit www.eastsidearts.net.
Follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #ESAFest22.
