‘Smaller scale’ Culture Night Belfast planned this year

Prior to the pandemic, Culture Night had been one of Belfast’s largest free events, a cultural celebration that attracted almost 90,000 local, national and international visitors to the Cathedral Quarter and Belfast city centre.

Susan Picken, director of Cathedral Quarter Trust and Culture Night Belfast said the challenges of the past year had given everyone a chance to reflect about the shape of this year’s event, which will run from September 17-19.

“Culture Night 2021 will be much smaller in scale and scope and will take the form of an on-site installation that people can drop into and enjoy over the course of the weekend – this different format will allow us to focus on safety as well as making sure everyone has a great time.”

This year’s event, called Culture Night Presents The City Garden, will see the creation of a pop-up ‘garden’ in the city centre.

Cathedral Gardens, Writers’ Square and the area around transformed into a colourful, nature-inspired place, evoking the feeling of a garden in the heart of the city.

“The arts and the wider community have had a particularly difficult time over the past 18 months,” added Susan.

“We have made a continued effort to support the arts through our website, social media and mailshots and now we are back we want to make sure we continue to actively support our cultural sector, now and in the future.

“Ensuring a COVID-secure approach is at the forefront of our plans and we will be making sure we work in close liaison with Belfast City Council and the relevant authorities to achieve this.”