The 4 Corners Festival is returning in 2025 for its 13th year, and is jampacked with a range of exciting practical workshops, talks, discussions and sport activities across Belfast.
The thought-provoking theme of this year’s festival is HOME?. Steve Stockman, the festival’s co-founder, describes home as “a powerful metaphor, used by poets, preachers, politicians and others seeking to paint a picture of a sense of belonging to a place.”
Fellow co-founder Father McGill hopes that the festival will bring “awareness to the residents of all four corners of Belfast, rather than just shedding light on the encouragement of tourists to the city.”
As always, the 4 Corners Festival’s events are all free of charge and run from the 24th of January to the 9th of February, with an array of themes such as music, discussion, sport and faith.
Here are 18 unique events taking place during the festival in 2025.
- Our Common Home Exhibition
Launch event Friday 31 January 4pm, open Saturday 1 February – Sunday 9 February 10am – 6pm, late night art Thursday 6 February, 2 Royal Avenue.
In 2015, Pope Francis published ‘Laudato Si – On Care For Our Common Home,’ an encyclical which was addressed to “every person living on this planet” and considered how we can care for the planet and shape its future through our everyday decisions and actions.
2025 marks the 10th anniversary of this letter, and climate change and pollution remain major concerns for us all.
During this 8 day exhibit, Westcourt Camera Club will use photography to highlight issues of environmental responsibility which are on our own doorstep.
On Thursday there will be a late night opening of the exhibition.
For more information, go to www.4cornersfestival.com/festival-events/our-common-home-exhibition/
- Peacemakers
Saturday 1 February – Saturday 8 February 2025, 12pm – 3pm, 2 Royal Avenue
This exhibition at 2 Royal Avenue gives you the opportunity to participate in the making of a unique piece of art with Gardner & Gardner’s ‘Peacemakers’ large-scale French knitting loom. Drop in to chat with the artists and try your hand at this simple but beautiful craft.
Throughout the week the piece will grow, with its richness of colour and texture reflecting the vibrancy of the city we call home and the interconnection of the individual strands of our stories.
On the final day the yarn will be cast off, stretched out and measured, creating a single textile piece that will be presented on the final day of the festival.
This event is hosted by Heidi and Peter Gardner, who are a Glasgow based husband-and-wife artist duo. Since its first installation in Scotland in 2014, Heidi and Peter have travelled with the Peace Loom to multiple cities.
Once completed, the installation will be the first of its kind in Northern Ireland to reflect the community of those who live, work and socialise in Belfast.
For more information, go to www.4cornersfestival.com/festival-events/peacemakers/
- 4 Corners Knitters
Saturday 1st February 2025, 2pm – 4pm, St John’s Newtownbreda (Newtownbreda Presbyterian Church), 374-378 Ormeau Road.
4 Corners Knitters has returned in 2025, this year falling on St. Brigit’s Day. Knitters and Crafters are invited to gather for a morning of chat and creativity.
Now a staple in the festival programme, this session connects craft lovers from across the city and newcomers are very welcome.
This year, participants can also learn how to make a St. Brigit’s Cross. The St. Brigit’s Cross is a symbol of Christ’s death and resurrection, and is traditionally hung in homes.
In line with the event’s tradition, the knitted items will be gifted to asylum seekers and charities dedicated to helping with homelessness across Belfast.
For tickets, go to https://www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489238
- Truth, Love or Promise
Saturday 1st February 2025, 7:30 PM, Stranmillis College Drama Theatre, Stranmillis Road.
As part of the festival, Nuala McKeever is performing her smash hit comedy drama, Truth, Love or Promise.
In this powerful, poignant and hilarious one woman show, Nuala plays 3 women who meet at a Creative Writing class in Belfast.
Over the weeks, Brenda, Maureen and Joanna get to know each other through their stories. But it’s the things they’re leaving out that really tell the tale.
The play carefully deals with themes such as grief, loss and how to deal with life when it doesn’t turn out how you expected.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489251
- Morning Service
Sunday 2 February 2025, 9:30 AM, Church of St John the Evangelist, 444 Falls Road, Belfast BT12 6EN
The festival presents its annual broadcast service on BBC Radio Ulster. Those interested can listen over the radio or secure one of 300 tickets to attend the broadcasting in person.
Speaker Lorna Gold will share thoughts on our responsibilities within our shared home – Earth.
Music will be provided by Canticle Sacred Music Society, the choir of the Catholic Chaplaincy at Queen’s University Belfast.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489255
- Caring For Our Earthly Home
Sunday 2 February 2025, 7:00 PM, Jennymount Methodist Church, 222 North Queen Street.
The Bible has much to say about God’s love for Creation and our shared responsibility to care for the earth, our home. Yet our common home is in danger.
The crisis we face is due principally to our failure to see the connections that bind us to each other as family, and to our planet as home. Dr. Lorna Gold, chair of the Laudato Si’ Movement, will be unpacking this idea.
Lorna takes a look at the constant threats posed to our world as a result of climate change in her book, Awakening to Our Children’s Future.
Her work within the Laudato Si’ Movement has helped to equip both members of the catholic church as well as others who share the same concerns about climate change to better understand the crisis at hand, as teaching them how to have a positive impact on the environment.
There will be music from Cork songwriter Claire Sands, who reimagines the trad song in her debut album, which blends and blurs musical genres, subject matter and languages.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489258
- Home Ground – Stories from Knockbreda Community Wildlife Garden
Monday 3 February 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM, Knockbreda Community Wildlife Garden, Rosetta Road.
The festival is hosting a colourful and engaging tour of Knockbreda Community Wildlife Garden.
Starting as a lock-down project on a desolate piece of abandoned ground, Knockbreda Community Wildlife Garden has developed into an oasis for the local community, where remarkable things can happen in a beautiful space.
As you tour the garden, come and hear stories of how it came to be, accompanied by music, poetry and reflections.
Note re accessibility: This tour is mostly across level wood-chip paths but also includes some slopes and uneven ground.
For tickets, go to https://www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489259
- Naming Belfast – learning about street names in the four corners of Belfast
Monday 3rd February 2025, 7:30 PM, The Duncairn, Duncairn Avenue.
Embark on a journey through the history of the four corners of Belfast, led by Dr Paul Tempan, Fr Martin Magill, Linda Ervine along with singer songwriter Brian Houston.
Belfast has a deep history and legacy that spans many centuries. Some of our ancient names survive but many have been buried under layers of conquest, empire, and the influence of external events.
Explore the rich tapestry woven throughout the city by our streets, their stories and their names.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489265
- Home In A Time Of Homelessness
Tuesday 4 February 2025, 7:30 PM, St Comgall’s, Divis Street.
Homelessness is a constant and prolific crisis, existing as various forms of displacement and ruining health, lives, communities, habitats, creativity, and hope.
Siobhán Garrigan, Loyola Professor of Theology at Trinity College Dublin, will look at theological perspectives on homelessness, arguing that for theology to play its part in ending homelessness, it must better understand its own idea of ‘home’.
She will challenge the mistaken theology of home that modern perspectives of homelessness are built on, and will suggest new theological responses to consumerism and nationalism which cause so much of the homelessness experienced in today’s world.
Asking people to imagine home as ‘participating instead of possessing’, in every sphere of life, Siobhán will encourage us to engage with a theology of home capable of preventing homelessness and not merely ministering to people experiencing it.
There will be music from festival regulars Caroline Orr, Norman McKinley and Peter Greer.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489267/r/sm
- Game of 4 Corners
Wednesday 5 February 2025, 6:00 PM, QUB PEC, Stranmillis Embankment.
The Game of 4 Corners returns to the festival in 2025 for young people aged 11-14.
Whether professional or amateur, sportspeople often represent more than themselves in their chosen field, becoming ambassadors for and developing accountability to both their team and their home. How do we play sport in a way that brings honour to our home and how do we build a shared home that encompasses the values we want to reflect?
In partnership with Peace NI, participants will try out basketball, Gaelic football, rugby and soccer in integrated teams from all four corners of Belfast. Local sportsmen and women will mentor the players while they explore the impact of home on the way sport is played.
Pre-registration is required for this event which is open to individuals and youth groups from across Belfast.
To reserve a place for your child, go to tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489273/r/sm and join the guestlist. You’ll then be sent a registration form.
- On The Literary Streets Of Home
Wednesday 5 February 2025, 7:30 PM, Cathy Short Theatre, Jennymount Business Park, North Derby Street.
Belfast, all four corners, fights way above its weight when it comes to the arts in general and literature in particular.
Acclaimed novel writer and director of the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Glen Patterson, will read excerpts from his book and open up about the impact of home on his writing. There will also be readings from poets, opening up different corners of the city and different corners of our hearts.
For tickets, go to https://www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489277
- Paradise Island
Thursday 6 February 2025, 7:00 PM, Methodist College (Whitla Hall), 1 Malone Road.
Come along to Methodist College’s Whitla Hall as primary school pupils from across Belfast (assisted by Play it by Ear Drama Company) get washed up on Paradise Island and find out what makes a home a home.
Play it By Ear Drama Company is run by Chris and Ross, who love to help children build their confidence and release their creativity through theatre.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489278
- Can We Bring Reconciliation Home?
Thursday 6 February, 7:30 PM, St Mary’s College, 191 Falls Road.
How well is Northern Ireland progressing on the path to reconciliation? What obstacles do we face and what approaches should we be taking to build on the work that has been done and bring reconciliation home?
Hosted by Will Leitch, this event will feature panellists Davy Adams, Nicola Brady, Monica McWilliams and Spike Murray to discuss these questions.
As a prelude, a group of local actors will perform an adapted version of John Paul Lederach’s drama based on Psalm 85.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489280
- Transport For A Shared City
Friday 7 February 2025, 12:00 PM, Grand Central Hotel (Panorama Suite), 9-15 Bedford Street.
Transport infrastructure has an important role to play in the development of Belfast as a shared city, with the potential to increase accessibility across the 4 ‘corners’ and enable the creation and maintenance of connections across the city and beyond.
The festival will host an early afternoon discussion to explore the role of public transport on community integration.
Supported by LQBID, the panel will share findings from their recent expert table discussion on the subject as well as allowing for attendees to pose questions and discuss their views.
For tickets go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489281
- In Conversation About Home with Anthony Toner and Andrea Montgomery
Friday 7 February 2025, 7:30 PM, Fitzroy Presbyterian Church, 77 University Street.
For the festival’s annual In Conversation event, Steve Stockman talks to songwriter Anthony Toner and artist/playwright/director Andrea Montgomery.
Anthony has written songs about his childhood home, growing up on Coleraine’s Harpur’s Hill estate and his album, Six Inches Of Water, about East Belfast.
Andrea Montgomery is an experienced writer, script editor and producer. She has worked on four continents, from Ireland to China, Greenland to Iran.
Born in Delhi, she has Canadian roots and is now making a home in East Belfast.There’s no doubt that she’ll have a lot to say about home. There will also be music and art to enjoy.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489283
- Wonderful Wander
Saturday 8 February, 1:30 PM, starting at Writers’ Square (opposite St Anne’s Cathedral).
The Wonderful Wander is back for 2025, delivered in association with the North Belfast Heritage Cluster.
Although the wander itself is a comparatively short walk, starting at Writer’s Square, it takes in the massive changes of such an historically important part of the city.
These monumental changes range from different waves of migrants making Belfast their home, through to the recent influx of students in response to the latest of many physical developments in the area and producing demographic, cultural, political and religious changes.
Along the way the significant implications of these changes on all the different places of worship will be explored.
As always, the wander will be peppered with stories, poems and perhaps even songs, led by Jim Deeds and David Campton. Refreshments will be provided afterwards at Girdwood Hub.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489285
- Iain Archer – 30th Anniversary Homecoming Concert
Saturday 8 February 2025, Lyric Theatre (Naughton Studio), 55 Ridgeway Street.
In 1995 a young Bangor singer songwriter audaciously filled the Lyric Theatre. In the 30 years since, Iain Archer has won two Ivor Novello Awards for Run with Snow Patrol and Hold Back The River with James Bay, the latter being nominated for a Grammy.
Iain Archer’s incredible songwriting skills have led to artists such as Liam Gallagher, Noah Kahan, Jake Bugg and Shania Twain asking to write with him.
He is returning to the Lyric Theatre three decades later for a rare homecoming concert on the 8th of February.
Seats will be unallocated and on a first-come-first-served basis. For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489560
- I’ll Call You Home
Sunday 9 February 2025, 7:00 PM, St Colmcille’s Church, 191a Upper Newtownards Road.
The 4 Corners Festival’s closing event will make sense of the Festival and send attendees out encouraged and inspired to make Belfast a home for themselves and everyone.
The creativity of the festival will be reflected on with the presentation of the finished Peacemakers project.
Rev. Neil Craigan, author and minister at White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and friend of the festival, will speak to tie up the Festival. The festival will end with the sound of Dana Masters’ song ‘I’ll Be Your Home.’
Attendees will then be led out of the festival by Andrew Masters, a Vineyard pastor in Lisburn. This event is an empowering and unforgettable way to close the festival, in line with the theme of home.
For tickets, go to www.tickettailor.com/events/4cornersfestival2/1489584
A joint venture between Jollyes The Pet People and leading photography centre, Belfast Exposed, the exhibition takes place in The Studio Gallery and is free to the public. The exhibition also hosts a ‘Give A Dog A Home’ space where images from seven local rescue and rehoming centres showcase dogs seeking their forever home.
