Free community light festival coming to Belfast in March

A cultural light festival aiming to bring communities together in a shared space is coming to Belfast next month.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl launched a new programme of events by leading cultural group ArtsEkta for the Forth Meadow Community Greenway.

Forth Meadow Community Greenway is a new £5.1 million EU PEACE IV-funded project to connect existing open spaces in North and West Belfast along a 12 km route from Clarendon Playing Fields to the new Transport Hub in the city centre.

The events will kick off with a spectacular free community festival Luminate at the Springfield Dam on Saturday, March 5 at 6pm - 8.30pm.

Luminate will be the first of four spectacle events along with a programme of smaller events designed by ArtsEkta over the coming months to bring communities together to enjoy the new space.

The programme is part of the Forth Meadow Community Greenway project, which aims to promote the greenway as a shared, welcoming, connected and safe space for all.

Lord Mayor Kate Nicholl said: “I’m delighted to announce the first in a series of cultural animation events to promote the Forth Meadow Community Greenway.

"Luminate will be lighting up our sky on 5th March and providing the start of more opportunities for local people and communities to come together and enjoy this amazing new space.

"There are further exciting events planned between March and September to celebrate this wonderful new outdoor space offering great physical and mental health benefits too."

Luminate will take place on March 5 and is free to the public (Carrie Davenport)

Nisha Tandon, Founder and CEO of ArtsEkta added: "We are delighted to present a spectacular light festival to launch a fabulous programme of events along the Forth Meadow Community Greenway on behalf of Belfast City Council.

"Our creative work brings together communities across the city to celebrate our collective civic identity and we are excited to be working with so many different community partners in the area to bring the Forth Meadow Community Greenway to life this year."

Tickets are free but must be booked in advance via ArtsEkta’s website, see here.