One of Northern Ireland’s most dynamic festivals is back after a difficult two years.
The 22nd Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival is returning with a bumper programme of live music, comedy, spoken word, theatre and film from April 28 to May 8.
Nearly 150 events in a variety of venues across Belfast’s historic quarter and beyond in what will be the first fully live festival in over two years.
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From the Festival Marquee to an old supermarket, churches and historic buildings to theatres, pubs and music spaces, CQAF will animate the city centre with an 11-day celebration of live music, comedy, theatre, spoken word, literature, eclectic performance and street art.
Highlights of one of CQAF’s most extensive ever programmes include:
- Soul II Soul
- Echo and the Bunnymen
- Mogwai
- Kae Tempest
- Penguin Café
- BC Camplight
- Dani Larkin
- Altered Images
- Corduroy
- Declan O’Rourke
- John Cooper Clarke
- Hollie McNish
- Richard Hawley
- Bonnie Greer
- Roy Walker
- Bell X1
- John Shuttleworth
- London African Gospel Choir present the Bob Marley Songbook
- Teddy Thompson
- David Keenan in conversation with Wendy Erskine
- Black is the Colour of my Life (inspired by the life and music of Nina Simone)
- Lucy Porter
- Aja performing the music of Steely Dan
- Simon Armitage
- Tadhg Hickey
- Shaparak Khorsandi
- Roddy Woomble
- Explosion Sound System
- GoGo Penguin.
Festival Director Sean Kelly said: "It’s been a turbulent couple of years, but we’re beyond delighted to be able to present our first fully live Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival since 2019.
"It’s also great to be able to expand the festival into some of the most interesting spaces available in the city centre – such as St Joseph’s Church in Sailortown, The Indian Community Centre, and 2 Royal Avenue, which some people might better know as the former Tesco.
"Of course we realise that Covid hasn’t gone away, and we’ll be exercising the appropriate safety precautions and encouraging patrons to do the same. But most importantly it feels good to be bringing great live events back to Belfast."
A packed CQAF film programme includes premiers of:
- Freakscene: The Dinosuar JR Story
- St Vincent’s The Nowhere Inn
- A screening of Bill Foryth’s mini-masterpiece Comfort and Joy, with an introduction from star of the movie Clare Grogan
- Monty Python and the FOLEY Grail (the Monty Python classic as you’ve never seen it before)
- Bollywood classic The Heart Desires (Dil Chahta Hai)
- Keyboard Fantasies – a documentary on the life and work of Glenn Coupland – electronic music auteur and queer icon
- A screening of Roadrunner
CQAF is also delighted to continue its association with Hit the North, Belfast’s internationally acclaimed street art festival, which will be illuminating the spaces between the venues.
The CQ Bazaar returns, with a feast of delights in The Common Market.
The Lifeboat Press and Bad Betty Press will also join forces for an evening of Poetry at the Sunflower and you can join the Tangerine for an evening of prose and poetry from contributors past and present, plus there’s an opportunity to catch newly commission performance art from the ever-challenging BBeyond.
Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added: "What an exciting line-up from Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, an annual highlight in the Northern Ireland calendar of events.
" This terrific festival not only brings world-class performers to Belfast but also offers an important platform to showcase artists from here, helping to shine a light on the talent that is inherent to NI.
"It’s truly heartening to see live events return for all to enjoy and we wish Sean and the team every success with this year’s festival."
Read more: Concert remembering Belfast blues legend Rab McCullough to take place in April
Read more: New two-day music festival announced for Belfast in August
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