March 28th, 2012 
Tushar Mathur If you are planning on visiting Belfast for a week or longer you should definitely try and visit the city during festival time. Being the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast is host to a number of festivals every year and everything from the traditional St Patrick’s Day celebrations to the oddly bizarre International Oyster Festival can be experienced. Let’s take a look at five of the best festivals that Belfast has to offer.
St Patrick’s Day
St Patrick’s Day is the most traditional festival celebrated in Belfast and if you are planning on visiting Belfast during March you should definitely try and make sure you are in the city for the 17th. On the 17th March every year a carnival atmosphere sweeps through the city and it is one that adults and children alike are sure to love. A carnival parade is followed by performances by street artists and concerts and as the sun goes down parties held in many of the local pubs get underway. If you want to experience a true Irish festival you have to visit the city St Patrick’s Day – grab a Guinness and watch the entertainment begin.
The Belfast Film Festival
The Belfast Film Festival has been running ever since 1995 and it is now one of the largest festivals that the city hosts. The 2012 festival will be held between the 31st May and the 10th June and is set to be even bigger than ever before. This year is the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and the 2012 festival aims to recreate the experience through a variety of films and seminars. The theme of the Belfast Film Festival changes each year with previous themes including Irish Women, Racism and Protestant Identity.
The Hilden Beer Festival
If there’s one thing that the Irish are known for it’s beer and the Hilden Beer Festival won’t disappoint. Usually held at the end of August, the Hilden Beer Festival has been running for over 30 years and has consistently grown in size year after year. If you have a penchant for trying out new local brews you certainly won’t want to miss it. The 2011 festival boasted 27 original beers brewed by 19 different breweries located throughout the UK. Ciders and ales can also be enjoyed and live music makes the weekend absolutely perfect.
Posted in 
