Picnics and Pop-ups, Surfing and Seafood

Festival season is fast approaching and the island of Ireland will be bursting with exciting events throughout the summer; spanning the arts, foodie, historical and cultural worlds.

Go back in time and visit the Titanic Foundation for their Big Pop-Up Picnic next to Titanic Belfast, SS Nomadic and HMS Caroline, where visitors can embark on a tour to learn about Belfast’s maritime heritage. For foodies looking for a day full of delicious local treats, the Taste of Dublin festival comes to town from 16^th July.

The Big Titanic Pop-Up Picnic, Belfast – 28^th – 30^th May 2016
The Titanic Foundation will be hosting their Big Pop-Up Picnic next to Titanic Belfast, SS Nomadic and the newly opened HMS Caroline. Visitors can enjoy a mix of maritime activity including live music, dance performances and the chance to descend 44ft into the bottom of Titanic’s Dock with the walking and photography tours. Visitors will also get the chance to step back in time with 70 DeLorean cars travelling onto the Titanic Slipways for their grandstand finish.
For more information visit http://titanicbelfast.com

Cork Harbour Festival, Cork, 4^th – 12^th June 2016
The Cork Harbour Festival attracts thousands of visitors and spectators over the week, taking place in one of the largest natural harbours in the world. The flagship event of the festival is Ocean to City - An Rás Mór, Ireland’s premier rowing spectacle, drawing hundreds of participants from all over the world, competing in everything from traditional wooden boats, currachs, gigs and longboats to Chinese dragon boats, kayaks and canoes. The festival also includes the Cork Harbour Open Day offering visitors free harbour tours and sailing tasters, as well as trips to Spike Island.
For more information visit: http://www.corkharbourfestival.com

Taste of Dublin, Dublin - 16^th – 19^th June 2016
Taste of Dublin is a celebration of Dublin's unique and progressive dining scene. The city’s latest, greatest and hottest restaurants will each present signature dishes, allowing visitors to taste a variety of delectable treats whilst wandering through the idyllic Iveagh Gardens. Along with fellow foodies, sample ingredients from the finest Irish producers, spot award-winning chefs, and take part in the interactive food events before enjoying the live entertainment.
For more information visit http://dublin.tastefestivals.com

Sea Sessions, Bundoran – 24^th – 26^th June 2016 
Bringing together fans of outdoor sports, this Donegal festival combines the best live music with outdoor adventure. On the beach of Ireland’s surfing capital, Bundoran, festival goers can spend the day riding the waves before catching live sets from both Irish and international artists. Line-up includes Gavin James, Tinie Tempah, Primal Scream and many more.
For more information visit http://seasessions.com/ 

Race to the End of the Earth, Belfast - 25th June - 28th August 2016
Titanic Belfast will be hosting this year’s must-see summer exhibition, 'Race to the End of the Earth' from 25th June until 28th August. Interactive, multimedia experiences and hands on activities allow explorer enthusiasts to learn about one of the most thrilling and stirring tales of Antarctic exploration of all time; Scott versus Amundsen. The world-class exhibition shows what life was like for the explorers on the ice 100 years ago as they faced the ultimate limits of human endurance and some of the harshest weather conditions in the world.

River to Lough Festival, Antrim – 2^nd July 2016
Celebrating its third year, the River to Lough festival has become known as one of the most unique food festivals in Northern Ireland. Taking place in the majestic Antrim Castle Gardens, it celebrates the ancient fishing tradition associated with the area.  Visitors can enjoy cookery demonstrations, watch the heritage boats and enjoy an Eel heritage exhibition complete with stories told by local fishermen. Once an appetite has been worked up, guests can stop-by the pop-up restaurant serving a traditional eel supper.
For more information visit https://rivertolough.co.uk

Foyle Maritime Festival, Derry-Londonderry, 9^th – 17^th July 2016
Foyle Maritime Festival will host the stopover of the Clipper Race 2015-16 as the teams come to the end of their round-the-world journey. Queens Quay will be transformed into a maritime wonderland full of fun, activities, music and arts and crafts as the teams are welcomed back to Derry. The Clipper Race Kitchen Food Village comes to town from 14^th – 17^th July and will showcase the best of local offerings. The area will be full of excitement with live cook-offs, artisan food producers, celebrity chefs and delicious street food vendors all showcasing their skills.
For more information visit: http://www.derrystrabane.com

Galway International Arts Festival, Galway, 11^th – 24^th July 2016
Ireland’s largest annual arts festival takes place from 11^th-24^th July, showcasing an international programme of theatre, dance, music, literature, comedy and visual arts. A variety of new shows will be announced in this year’s programme, including Brit-pop legends Suede headlining at the Absolut Big Top on Saturday 23^rd June, the critically acclaimed theatre production ‘Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour’ at the Town Hall Theatre from 19^th – 24^th July, and ‘A Simple Space’, a thrilling acrobatic show by Gravity & Other Myths at the Black Box Theatre from 19^th – 24^th July.
For more information visit http://www.giaf.ie

Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival, Waterville, 25^th – 28^th August 2016
Not just for Chaplin enthusiasts, this four-day event is packed with activities for all ages throughout the day, from art exhibitions, animation and comedy workshops to screenings and film competitions. Held in Waterville, where Charlie Chaplin visited in the 1960s and fell in love with the place before returning to holiday there with his family for many year, there will even be an attempt to break the world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Charlie Chaplin – bowler hat and moustache compulsory!
For more information visit http://chaplinfilmfestival.com

Hillsborough International Oyster Festival, Lisburn - 30th August – 4th September 2016
Recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s landmark events and named as one of the top 10 food festivals in the world to visit in 2016, the Hillsborough Oyster Festival returns for its 24^th year, and is a key event in the Northern Ireland calendar. This year marks the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink. Located in the beautiful Georgian village of Hillsborough. Highlights of the festival include World Oysters Masters Golf Day, the Pearl and Oyster Ball, Super Car Sunday and the Soapbox Derby.
For more information visit http://www.hillsboroughoysterfestival.com