Your time, our place - Northern Ireland 2012
Big things, Giant things, Titanic things are afoot in Northern Ireland. The biggest celebrations in its history are lined up for 2012, and it’ll take a whole 12 months to get through them all. From festivals to concerts, great unveilings and grand openings, no less than seven extraordinary events promise to make 2012 pretty much unforgettable.
To mark the 100-year anniversary of the Titanic’s maiden voyage (this famous liner was born in Belfast), the city will throw the
Titanic Belfast Festival running through April and May. Special theatre shows, tours, talks and exhibitions are in store, with MTV returning for a special concert in the iconic Titanic slipway. And expect a huge fanfare when the
Titanic Belfast experience is unveiled. This is the world’s largest Titanic visitor attraction and the most intriguing structure in the city’s skyline.
Next, it’s the turn of UK City of Culture 2013 Derry/Londonderry to host the internationally acclaimed
Peace One Day Concert in June. Filmmaker Jeremy Gilley and actor and Peace One Day ambassador Jude Law will be promoting the campaign for a Global Truce with a star-studded concert in the city’s newest open-air event space, Ebrington Barracks. Just a few days later, the
Clipper Round The World Yacht Race will kick off the city’s Maritime Festival when it stops at the port on its homecoming leg in late June/early July.
Back in Belfast,
Land of Giants will be the largest outdoor arts event ever seen in Northern Ireland, and its spectacular one-night show on 30 June will take place on the very slipways where the Titanic was launched. Meanwhile, award-winning theatre director Deborah Warner will install a major
Living Artwork along Northern Ireland’s rugged coastline for an unprecedented spectacle in the great outdoors.
Speaking of which, in September, the
Giant’s Causeway will open the doors of its eagerly awaited, state-of-the-art visitor centre, which promises to be worthy of the site’s epic reputation.
Towards the end of this action-packed year, the world-renowned
Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s celebrates its 50th anniversary, with its biggest and brightest schedule yet. Expect unique theatre, visual art, classical and world music and dance, and big, big names in the line-up. In recent years, the festival has hosted Nick Cave, Ennio Morricone, KT Tunstall and Elvis Costello. Not one to be missed, especially this year!
So, from celebrations and commemorations, to arts and architecture, Northern Ireland is telling a new story in 2012. It’s time to spread the word and take your time to our place.