This May Day Bank Holiday weekend laughter becomes the loudest sound in Belfast City Centre and Cathedral Quarter.

Belfast’s favourite family friendly festival is back for the 12^th year. The Festival of Fools brings a welcome rush of international silliness and smiles to the streets of Belfast with more than 120 free performances to enjoy from around the world from Friday 1 – Monday 4 May.

International Excellence

From the USA, there’s Jonathan Burns, the most flexible comedy act around, with his feats of crazy contortion; and Dan Holzman, a juggler with more comic turns than The Beano in a force 7 gale.  Australian acrobat Fatt Matt arrives to prove to the world that spending his life living Down Under really hasn’t changed him a bit as he entertains the masses with his ukulele playing – whilst balancing on his head!  From Spain, La Bella Tour present a show in which two destitute and desperate clowns are searching the planet for the perfect laugh and they are prepared to do anything to find it – catastrophe and chaos ensues!

Birthday Celebrations

2015 also marks the 30th birthday of sister organisation Belfast Community Circus School, and the Festival of Fools features more than 20 acts who have either trained, or taught at the school. Featured companies include Dot Comedy with Lost On Earth – a crashed spaceship with a dazed and confused alien in search of intelligent life in Belfast. The Barren Carrousel present Shhhhhhh!, a new circus show packed with aerial stunts, acrobatics, juggling and comedy. The Magilligans, Belfast’s favourite unicycling, juggling and cheese loving brothers, are reunited after a difficult year, spent trying to think up a new joke.

The Festival opens on Friday 1 May at 7pm in Writers’ Square with “Cast Off” – the biggest street show ever to be produced by the Belfast Community Circus School with a cast of 40 young people and professional artists. Expect stunning choreography combining aerial feats with acrobatic prowess and manipulative mastery.

Community Circus Celebration

A unique Community Circus Celebration takes place on the Saturday in Writers’ Square featuring shows from 7 different youth and community groups from Belfast, Derry-Londonderry and Lisburn, highlighting the strength of the youth and community circus sector in Northern Ireland. Also joining the celebrations are a youth circus group from Cloughjordan eco village in the Republic of Ireland.

The Festival continues on Saturday 11am – 7pm; Sunday 1-7pm and Bank Holiday Monday 12-7pm with shows in Saint Anne’s Square, Writers’ Square, Cotton Court, Rosemary Street and Cornmarket. Each evening finishes with The Big Finish – a variety style show featuring highlights from the day’s acts in the relaxed surroundings of Saint Anne’s Square.

Smart Moves

The Festival is encouraging the public to make smart moves with Translink for hassle-free travel to Belfast city centre for a fun-filled day out. There are various offers, such as 1/3 off Rail and selected Goldline services, as well as a Friends and Family ticket, from translink.co.uk.

Food offers

Alongside the street theatre shows, visitors can also enjoy the Festival of Foods, which will see 17 bars, restaurants and cafes offer a wide range of deals for diners ranging from special Festival menus through to free meals for children, reinforcing the Festival of Fools reputation as the best value event in the cultural calendar.

For the ‘fool’ line-up visit foolsfestival.com

Northern Ireland has a unique collection of irresistible places to stay including quirky B&Bs, luxurious spa hotels and hidden gem properties for the perfect short break and Discover NI has selected the best offers of the week for you to choose from.

• 2 night bed and breakfast and one evening dinner, Canal Court Hotel &Spa, Newry.  £129pp. The Canal Court Hotel & Spa is a fine four star property with a total of 110 bedrooms and suites, extensive health and leisure complex and stunning spa perfectly located in the heart of the City close to both bus and rail stations. Available until Apr 30. To book call (028) 3025 1234.

• Spring into Summer with Templeton Hotel, Ballyclare. From £69 per couple. Enjoy one night bed and breakfast with a main course and glass of wine. This luxurious hotel, not only has an excellent location, but also offers warm and welcoming surroundings. Midweek £69 per couple (Sunday – Thursday) Weekend £89 per couple (Friday or Saturday). To book call (028) 9443 2984.

• May-we-tempt-you! Weekend Springtime Deal, Beech Cottage, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen. From £285. Have a weekend away with friends and family this May and June for just £285 for two nights. Beech Cottage sleeps eight people and is a perfect location for exploring Upper Lough Erne. For just £35 per person, this deal should not be missed, plus we will provide a complimentary sit on top kayak, paddles and life jackets, for the more adventurous members of your party. Available from May 1 – Jun 30. To book call (028) 6772 2240.

For further information, contact TNI on 028 9023 1221 or view on www.discovernorthernireland.com/offers.

Tourism NI has put together a list of 10 exciting things to do in Northern Ireland next week (April 20-26).

• 800 Years Of Annoying The English, Belfast Barge, 1 Lanyon Quay, Belfast, April 24. Fresh from a successful run at The Edinburgh Fringe festival this entertaining show sets out to reveal the shocking truth about our past, from St Patrick to Westlife, in a roller coaster, surreal and musical hour long show.  Show starts 8.30pm.

• Ecology Sunday ‘Marvellous Mammals @ Navan’, Navan Centre and Fort, Co Armagh, April 26. Enjoy a free event looking at the world of marvellous mammals like hedgehogs, rabbits, ferrets and foxes. Follow their trails around Navan and make your very own casting of a mammal’s footprint. From 11am – 3pm.

• Belfast Film Festival, various locations, Belfast, until April 25, Preview a series of premiere screenings at this year’s Belfast Film Festival. Film fans will enjoy a veritable feast of films. The Belfast Film Festival began in 1995 as part of Féile An Phobail and has developed hand in hand with the evolving culture of film patronage and filmmaking in the city. Shows begin at various times.

• Colour Me Beautiful, Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick, Co Down, April 25. Get involved in an enlightening, fun and in-depth workshop focusing on beauty, elegance, style and confidence. This full-day workshop will look at colour where each participant will be fully tested with colour fabric swatches to learn what colours really work for them both in clothes and make-up. From 10am – 5pm.

• Vintage Rally, The Argory, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, April 25. Enjoy this must-see event for all vehicle enthusiasts. Hundreds of vintage vehicles will descend upon The Argory as they host their famous vintage vehicle rally. From 12noon – 5pm.

• The Brass Band League Spring Festival, The Alley Arts and Conference Centre, Strabane, Co Tyrone, April 25. Enjoy the Spring sunshine and join hundreds of bandsmen and women enjoying their annual festival day in Strabane in the award winning Alley Theatre. Over 21 bands are set to perform on stage in four section groups for your entertainment. From 10am-6pm.

• Jazz in the Gardens, Mount Stewart, Newtownards, Co Down, April 26. Bring your picnic and settle down on the lawn with your family and friends to enjoy an afternoon of jazz in the beautiful gardens at Mount Stewart. From 2pm-4.30pm.

• Crom Cruise and Castle Tour, Share Discovery Village, Smith’s Strand Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, April 26. Cruise to Crom and enjoy a tour of the West Wing. Your cruise will depart Share Village navigating its way through the intricate maze of islands on Upper Lough Erne towards Crom Castle Boathouse where you will alight and enjoy a tour of the West Wing at Crom Castle. From 2pm.

• Kings and Queens of Irish Country Music, Theatre at The Mill, Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, April 22. The show will feature five of Ireland’s best known and loved Country legends who between them have had scores of No.1 hits, a string of awards and who have all toured extensively throughout Ireland, Europe and America. From 7.45pm.

• Barry Steele’s Roy Orbison and Friends, Millennium Forum, Newmarket Street, Derry~Londonderry, Co Londonderry, April 22. Using both original and film footage from the era and backed by his fabulous band, Barry Steele will take you through a journey in time as he brings the character of Roy Orbison back to the centre stage, where it truly belongs. Add to the mix special friends Paul Molloy and Boogie Williams celebrating the musical legacy of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis and you have yourself a spectacular fusion of good old Rock n Roll and contemporary musical genius all on one stage.

Please note some of the events require pre-booking.

The Market Place Theatre in Armagh is set to host a fabulous retro night showcasing the musical legacy of Roy Orbison, and also an evening with one of the country’s up-and-coming traditional bands.

On Thursday 23^rd April, Barry Steele presents his award winning, critically acclaimed theatrical concert ‘Roy Orbison & Friends.’ Using both Original and film footage from the era, and backed by his fabulous band, Barry Steele will take you through a journey in time as he brings the character of Roy Orbison back to the centre stage, where it truly belongs. Add to the mix special friends Paul Molloy and Boogie Williams celebrating the musical legacy of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, you have yourself a spectacular fusion of good old “Rock n Roll” and contemporary musical genius all on one stage. Tickets are priced £19 each. This promises to be a great night of old school rock n roll accompanied by retro menus and cocktails in our bar and bistro, as well as the opportunity to come dressed up if you fancy it!

Described by Irish Music Magazine as ‘a full bodied pipe and whistle extravaganza’, Belfast based Réalta carry on the Bothy Band tradition of taking tunes by the scruff of the neck and firing excitement through them like hot flames! With a sound based on the twin uilleann piping talents of Conor Lamb and Aaron O’Hagan, propelled by a dynamic accompaniments on guitar, bouzouki and double bass, Réalta make full use the intricate melodies and driving rhythms that make Irish music so loved throughout the world. Having toured alongside Altan in Germany, Switzerland and Greece and won the prestigious ‘Danny Kyle Award’ at Celtic Connections Glasgow, these young musicians have earned a reputation for delighting audiences with the enthusiasm, energy and passion they bring to traditional music. Realta will perform on Friday 24^th April at 8pm. Tickets are priced £13 each.

Tickets for all events can be booked through the Box Office on [028] 3752 1821, or online at www.marketplacearmagh.com And to keep up-to-date with the latest news at the Market Place Theatre, you can follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marketplacearmagh) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/mptarmagh) where you will find all the latest information, special offers and video previews.

On Sunday 26^th April come along and enjoy a FREE ecology event at the Navan Centre & Fort, Armagh.

From 11.00am – 3.00pm join with local wildlife expert Debbie Doolittle and the education team from the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre as they take you on a tour of our marvellous mammals.

Enjoy displays detailing some of the amazing mammals we have in this country, even see some examples of the finest taxidermy.

Take a guided walks around Navan site where we will be investigating the tracks left behind by some of these mammals.  The tracks will give us a great insight into what is actually living around Navan.  Using these tracks and footprints make your very own mammal cast to take home.

Ideas on how to help local native mammals by turning your garden into a mammal friendly habitat.  A fabulous, free, event for all the family.

For information please contact: Navan Centre, 81 Killylea Road, Armagh.  BT60 4LD.  Tel 028 3752 9644 or www.navan.com

Upcoming events over the next three weekends:

Sat 18 April to Fri 24 April

Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 April, Family Fun at Cockle Row Cottages

Groomsport Harbour

Free entertainment, 2pm-4pm.

Sat 18: Party Animals NI

Sun 19: Bricks4Kidz Lego Workshop, Science Show: ‘Cooking Chemistry’

Cottages open to the public 11am-5pm. Free admission

Info: Bangor Visitor Information Centre, (028) 9127 0069, tic@northdown.gov.uk, northdowntourism.com

Sat 25 April to Fri 1 May

Saturday 25 April

Dawn Chorus Walk, Castle Park in Bangor

Free, pre-booking essential. Starts 5am.

Join bird expert Dot Blakely as the sun comes up over Bangor, for an early morning master class in how to recognise the songs of the dawn chorus.

Dot’s tour will also take in the natural habitats of the birds and animals who live in the park.

Bangor Visitor Information Centre, (028) 9127 0069

Ards Visitor Information Centre, (028) 9182 6846

Book online

Saturday 25 April, Meet the Maker: ‘the Beauty of Clay – Get your hands dirty’

Ards Crafts, Craft & Design Centre, 31 Regent Street in Newtownards

Tickets: £12 inc materials; Age 18+. Limtied numbers, pre-booking essential.

10.30am – 12.30pm

A ceramics workshop with Ellen Cunningham & Ashleigh Collim

Info and booking: Tel: (028) 9182 6846

Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 April, Family Fun at Cockle Row Cottages

Groomsport Harbour

Free entertainment, 2pm-4pm.

Sat 25: Jumping Clay, Children’s Crafts

Sun 26: Casey’s Creatures, Face Painting

Cottages open to the public 11am-5pm. Free admission

Info: Bangor Visitor Information Centre, (028) 9127 0069, tic@northdown.gov.uk, northdowntourism.com

Friday 1 May, Friday Night Live – Sarah McQuaid

Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards

Ticket Price: £8 in advance*, £10 at  the door  (*booking fee applies)

Doors Open at 7.30pm, starts at 8pm

A return visit from Sarah who will seduce her audience with cheeky banter and stories from the road as well as her stunning music.

She spans the genres with both beautiful crafted originals and material from around the globe. Bring your own bottle.

Box Office: 028 9181 0803, Book online

April – November

Experience Ards and North Down Tours – Tickets on sale now!

Info and to book:

Bangor Visitor Information Centre, (028) 9127 0069

Ards Visitor Information Centre, (028) 9182 6846

Book online

Download the brochure here

Exhibitions

Ards Crafts &Visitor Information Centre

31 Regent Street, Newtownards BT23 4AD

T: 028 9182 6846. Admission Free

Saturday 4 – Saturday 25 April

‘Mount Stewart’

National Trust Exhibition charting the restoration of Mount Stewart House

Saturday 2 – Saturday 30 May

Meet the Maker: ‘Green Wood Works’

Green Woodworker Alexey Janes

North Down Museum, Bangor

Castle Park Avenue, located by Bangor Castle (Town Hall) BT20 4BT

T: 028 9127 1200. Admission Free

Tuesday 31 March – Thursday 30 April

Paintings: U3A Art Groups

Saturday 2 – Sunday 31 May

Historical Storyboard: Mining Heritage

Until Sunday 17 May

Exhibit: En-gauge with the past, history of the railway

Friday 1 May – Thursday 28 May

The Great War: Through the words of the County Down Spectator & Newtownards Chronicle

Portaferry Visitor Information Centre

The Stables, Castle Street BT22 1NZ

T: 028 4272 9882. Admission Free

Saturday 2 – Saturday 30 May

Art in the Loft: ‘Follow the Thread – From Ewe to You’ Fibre art by the Ulster Guild of Spinners, Weavers & Dyers

Down

Frock Around The Clock will be returning to Bangor for the ‘Spring Into Summer’ Vintage & Handmade Fair at Clandeboye Lodge on Sunday 19th April from 12-5pm, featuring 50 stalls of vintage, handcrafted & upcycled fashion, furniture, homewares and collectibles, textiles and decor, jewellery, sweet treats, toys, art, craft, gifts, artisan food, children & baby wear & much more!

Armagh

For the first time ever, the much loved Fairy-tale Golidlocks and the Three Bears comes to the stage at the Navan Fort Centre this Sunday 19th April in an unforgettable live stage production of song and laughter.  Goldilocks and the Three bears and Ruff The dog perform live on stage in this exciting and fun filled musical production. The popular tale takes a few twists and turn along the way with other new puppet characters and hopefully a happy ever after. Kids will learn that music can be found everywhere as they sing and dance to all their favourite songs.

Fermanagh

Gary McEvoy has been performing his Garth Brooks show for almost 20 years and this Saturday brings the Garth Brooks Experience to the Ardhowen Theatre. Gary is a natural performer who loves to involve his audience in his high energy show featuring hits such as ‘The River’, ‘That Summer’ and ‘Friends in Low Places’. If you’re a Garth Brooks fan or just love good ole country music then don’t miss this show.

Tyrone

Cobbler’s Cottage Creggan are having Open days this weekend, Friday to Saturday 11.00 am to 3.00pm.  “Come for a Cuppa” and view this 4* newly renovated 200 year old cosy, traditional Irish self-catering cottage. All donations are going to local charities.

Derry

This Friday evening at 8.00pm Echo Echo ensemble artists Esther Alleyne, Tonya Sheina, Janie Doherty, Kelly Quigley and Zoe Ramsey present an evening of five short solos. Each performer has devised an independent original work based on their current personal artistic interests. The approaches will be varied ranging from set rehearsed material to improvised score. Echo Echo warmly invite you to join them for this evening of diverse performances at their home studios on Magazine Street Derry.

Antrim

They’ve skewered history, the Bible and the world’s most celebrated playwright, now the Reduced Shakespeare Company tackles the subject it was born to reduce at Newtownabbey’s Theatre at the Mill this Thursday 16^th April.   Following a hugely successful, critically acclaimed season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014 the Reduced Shakespeare Company will set out to reduce the UK to tears of laughter in Spring 2015.  Tickets to The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) are far more affordable than tickets to an amusement park, but you’ll come away with the same feeling of nausea and motion sickness. From the high-brow to the low and everything in-between, the bad boys of abridgment leave no joke untold as they deconstruct the entire history of comedy in 90 rollicking minutes.

Belfast

Lally the Scut, a new play by the critically acclaimed Northern Ireland playwright Abbie Spallen and featuring a cast of 12 well known faces from Northern Ireland stage and screen, will premiere at the MAC this April.  A co-production by Tinderbox Theatre Company and the MAC, Lally the Scut is an unflinching satire that promises to be unmissable and opens tonight at the Mac Belfast.

Add your events free at www.whatsonni.com. Follow us on twitter @whatsonNI and on facebook at fb.com/www.whatsonni.com for news, competitions and what’s on near you.

The Odyssey Trust, owners of the Odyssey Arena, home of the Belfast Giants, has announced that four top universities from the prestigious National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will play in The Friendship Four, Belfast’s first major college ice hockey tournament, over Thanksgiving weekend (Friday November 27^th and Saturday 28^th November 2015).

This will be a world first for the NCAA as it is the first time the league has taken to the ice to play competitive games outside the USA. The four-team tournament is expected to draw large numbers of spectators from across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, GB and America.

UMass Lowell, Northeastern University, Brown University and Colgate University have all agreed to play for the Belpot Trophy in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena. Each team competes in the NCAA division 1, the top level of university ice hockey in the United States.

To complete a bumper weekend of hockey, there will also be Elite League matches on the Saturday and Sunday involving the Belfast Giants.

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Arder Carson, is undertaking his first civic visit to Belfast’s Sister City of Boston this weekend, to officially announce details of the major sporting event alongside the Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh. During his trip to Boston the Lord Mayor will meet with a number of key influencers to help promote Belfast and its Sister Cities link with Boston on the international stage.

“The Sister City agreement which we signed with Boston last May is designed to foster stronger economic development, trade and investment, tourism, youth, cultural, faith based exchange and educational linkages between our two cities,” explained the Lord Mayor.
“Bringing this prestigious tournament to Belfast is one of the first substantive results of the agreement, and we are delighted that, even before the first puck has been hit, there already is a commitment to play it here for a further four years.  It is our hope that the success of this tournament will help stimulate further exchanges, especially in terms of trade missions and educational links. Bringing this tournament to Belfast will be a great boost to our economy. The global media coverage this will attract is likely to bring a very positive off-spin for Belfast too.”

Speaking at the launch of The Friendship Four in Boston, Eric Porter, Chairman of the Odyssey Trust, said: “Ice hockey is a cross community sport in Belfast and this is one of the main reasons the Belfast Giants have been able to have success over the past 15 years. The Friendship Four will be the first time that teams at this standard of ice hockey will play in Belfast and we expect our fans to be very excited about seeing it at their home arena. It is an opportunity to give back to the communities that have supported us over the years and we truly want to make this an event that is open to all.”

“The NCAA offers a highly sought after scholarship system for student athletes which is something we would like to introduce in Belfast. It presents a valuable opportunity to students who may not otherwise have the option to be educated to university level. With the recent Boston-Belfast sister city announcement, we would like this game to be used as a bridge to tie these two great cities at the post-secondary education level.”

Mayor Martin J. Walsh said: “During my time in Ireland, I saw first-hand how sports, and hockey in particular, play an incredible role in bridging communities. I am thrilled to announce the first tournament for the Belpot Trophy this fall. I would like to thank former Mayor of Belfast Máirtín Ó Muilleoir for his original partnership in this ambitious exchange and his continued hospitality towards Boston and Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Arder Carson, and the Belfast City Council for their commitment to making this tournament become a reality.”

Legendary Monty Python star comes to Belfast for one night only

Waterfront: Friday 30^th October 2015

Join Michael Palin for a flying visit to three momentous decades of his life

*Tickets go on sale this Friday, 17^th April*

Tickets for Belfast Waterfront are available:

In person at the Waterfront Box Office

By Telephone: 028 9033 4455
Book On Line: www.waterfront.co.uk

In person: From 100 Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide
By Telephone (24 Hour): Northern Ireland – 0844 277 44 55
Book On Line: www.ticketmaster.ie

Following the success of his landmark tour in 2014 and to celebrate three decades of diaries, Michael Palin will mark the paperback publication of the final volume with a brand new show at 14 Belfast’s Waterfront on Friday 30^th October.

The Thirty Years Tour will see Michael use his diaries to tell the story of a life lived in the public eye from the end of the 1960’s when his first child and a new television show called Monty Python’s Flying Circus both took their first faltering steps.

Monty Python catapulted him into a career which went on to produce not just the legendary films of the Python team, but also Ripping Yarns, railway journeys, feature films like Time Bandits, Brazil, A Private Function and A Fish Called Wanda, a BAFTA-nominated performance in the series GBH, as well as novels, plays, and three of the most successful travel series ever made.

In this two part stage show Michael brings to life thirty extraordinary years, trawling through a stock of rarely told stories, ranging from fighting to defend Monty Python in a US courthouse, the Ripping Yarn that never got made, Python’s American groupies and what it’s like filming with your own children.

He also talks about the glimpses of his personal life, so painstakingly committed to the diary each morning. The joy of friendships, the loss of loved ones, the pressures of absence on his family and how to deal with a roller-coaster ride of success and failure.

And the show reflects not just his own life, but the life of the country in which he was born and brought up as it hurtles towards the Millennium driven by a technological revolution. From the Beatles last concert to the birth of the Euro, Palin witnesses the breathless speed of change.

Profusely illustrated with film and video from all his various activities, The Thirty Years Tour is an autobiography, live on stage.

Exclusive 10% discount for whatsonni.com readers to New Show Little Sure Shot at the Mac

The MAC is Belfast’s family friendly arts venue.  Recently voted best theatre in NI by Netmums, children (and parents too) love it. We can see why – there’s an amazing free Family Room, family theatre shows, free storytime and lots of creative workshops.  Most weekends, there’s something happening for all ages.

This May, the MAC invites families to dust off their Stetsons and mosey on down for a Wild West action adventure. Inspired by a true story, the MAC’s fabulous new family show Little Sure Shot tells the story of Annie Oakley and how she became the most famous cowgirl in the Wild West.  Expect death-defying shoot outs, live country & western and enough theatrical flair to make everyone shout ‘yeehaw’.

The MAC is exclusively offering whatsonni.com users a 10% discount on this brand new show by quoting WHATSONNI when booking.

Little Sure Shot runs from 5-10 May. Book now at themaclive.com (children £10, adults from £12)

“The MAC isn’t a place for silence. We enjoy hearing children laugh and run around exploring our wonderful building. If your little one has yet to see our indoor rainbow then I highly recommend a visit.” (Anne McReynolds, MAC Chief Executive).

Book your tickets now HERE