4 Corners Festival Returns To Belfast For 2026 With Latest Theme: Journey
The 4 Corners Festival is set to return to venues across Belfast from January 30 to February 8, 2026, with a programme built around its new theme, ‘Journey’.
Now established as an annual festival in the city, 4 Corners was conceived as a way to inspire people from across Belfast to transform it for the peace and wellbeing of all, encouraging people to step beyond the physical and psychological “corners” of the city through events that bring new places, new perspectives and new connections.
The 2026 programme includes events spanning conversation, music, comedy, drama, exhibitions, workshops, schools and sport, with all events free of charge.
According to organisers this year’s theme ‘Journey’ reflects the idea that everyone is shaped by the paths they take through life, both outward journeys across places and inward journeys of change, reflection and growth.
Speaking at the recent launch Rev Steve Stockman, 4 Corners Festival co-founder explained what makes the festival different in Belfast’s festival calendar, and how the team thinks about the festival’s reach beyond church walls.
He said: “I think I’d like to think that the festival has this blend between the sacred and the secular that not many other festivals have. We’re very conscious that we’re all Christians, and we want to make that contribution, but we’re not frightened of going outside the walls of the church and having some really good connections and partnerships with those who don’t have a faith or have another faith.
“I think in that sense, it probably crosses more boundaries than just the four corners. I like that idea, and I think that’s unique to the festival.”
Fellow festival co-founder Father Martin Magill, said one objective of the festival is to encourage people to explore Belfast and meet across divides, with a strong emphasis on welcome and friendship.
He said: “The background to our city is shaped by the legacy of the Troubles, so part of what we do is encourage people to get to know the whole city and to meet one another, and build friendships across the various divides. Another key element is churches working together, using the arts to communicate an important message — and that message is about building friendships.”
Now in its 14th year, the forthcoming festival will explore how encounters with people, ideas, faith and community can challenge perspectives and deepen understanding. Through shared experiences across the city, ‘Journey’ will invite people to reflect on how change, personal and collective, can lead to renewal for individuals, communities and Belfast itself.
On the theme itself, Father Martin said: “For me, journey is on so many levels. It is really a journey towards a greater maturity in body, mind and spirit. Coming from a Christian Catholic faith perspective, the journey, for me, is also about becoming more like the one I follow, becoming more like Jesus. That, for me, is the primary journey”.
While Father Martin spoke of the inner and spiritual dimensions of journey, Rev Stockman focused on how the theme connects individual experience with wider social and communal journeys.
He said: “For me, journey is something we are all on. We’re on spiritual journeys, whether we admit it or not. We’re on journeys of peacebuilding, journeys that take people to other countries, and journeys where lives take turns geographically, spiritually and socially.
“It’s a very wide theme, but I hope that, at the end of the day, the festival helps us journey towards understanding, respect and tolerance and towards becoming a better society.”
The festival will open in late January with invitation-only events, followed by a city-centre exhibition and a full run of public events across Belfast through to the closing Sunday on February 8.
The programme includes Beyond Boundaries, an invitation-only event delivered in partnership with Ulster University for sixth form pupils from across Belfast, facilitated by playwright and broadcaster Nuala McKeever, focused on exploring how to face change and difference with openness rather than fear.
A public exhibition, Journeying To Resilience, will be launched at 2 Royal Avenue on January 30 and will run daily from January 31 to February 8, showcasing photography from Westcourt Camera Club following creative writing workshops with individuals on paths of personal transformation.
A cross-city Glider event, Come Glide With Me, will travel West to East from St John’s Church on the Falls Road to Stormont Presbyterian, and East to West on the return, featuring live music, spoken word, poetry, reflections from a tour guide and a community relations gathering while the opening weekend includes A Youth Journey From Belfast To Katanga, sharing a November 2025 journey by young people from South Belfast Alternatives to Kampala, Uganda, and exploring how youth use vision and resilience to change their communities.
The festival’s annual broadcast service will take place at the Agápê Centre on February 1, broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster, exploring Journey with Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin.
That evening, The Journey So Far will feature Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin speaking on her journey from Montego Bay to Kent, with music by the Pro Bono Choir, a Belfast ensemble of lawyers who perform for charitable causes.
Other programme highlights include Winning Through Uncertainty with Sam Goodwin at St Comgall’s Centre on February 2; The Good Journey, an evening of conversation about the life and ministry of Rev Dr Harold Good at Jennymount Methodist on February 3; and Stories from the Road, a night of music and comedy at the Oh Yeah Centre on February 4.
On February 4, Youth Action will host two workshops: Exploring Masculinity With Young Men In Schools for young men aged 13 to 18, and Reimagining Masculinity, an afternoon session for those working with young men in schools, youth work, community or faith settings.
It will be followed on February 5 with an Out To Lunch With Dr Jemar Tisby at Fitzroy Presbyterian Church where university students will have an opportunity to attend a closed event where the historian and author will be challenging students to think critically about Christianity, race, faith and justice.
The festival’s closing event, The Journey Toward Reconciliation, takes place on Racial Justice Sunday at St Peter’s Cathedral on February 8, with Dr Jemar Tisby speaking on racial reconciliation within the Church and practical steps to fight discrimination and journey together toward peace.
The 4 Corners Festival is supported by The Executive Office’s Central Good Relations Fund, The Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund, Belfast City Council’s Good Relations Fund, St Anne’s Cathedral Sitout and Linen Quarter BID.
All events are free to attend. To find out the full lineup of the festival and to book your tickets go to 4cornersfestival.com
There is also plenty of free family fun throughout the day:
From classic pantos to candlelit concerts and mindfulness mornings to artisan markets, there’s a packed programme of events taking place across Northern Ireland sure to get you into the spirit of the season and help you make memories that will last a lifetime.
Friday Night Live also returns to Ards Arts Centre with performances by The High Lonesome, Ben Reel and Glass Half Full. Ards CCÉ will open this year’s Music in the Chamber series at Bangor Castle on 19 February with a celebration of Irish traditional music. Opera fans will enjoy Spring Solstice with NI Opera on 20 March, a beautifully curated lunchtime concert featuring much-loved seasonal favourites.
Treat that special someone to a romantic overnight stay in one of the six luxurious hotels from as little as £120 for two people – book a city break in Belfast to take in a theatre date night or the bustling nightlife and stay at Europa Hotel, Grand Central Hotel or Stormont Hotel; escape to enjoy the ultimate 5-star luxury at the Culloden Estate & Spa; spend the afternoon exploring the Walled City and stay at the Everglades Hotel in Derry-Londonderry or get cosy and enjoy a break along the scenic Antrim coast at Ballygally Castle.
To make the celebrations even more special, children eat free during Santa Sundays (one child per adult), allowing families to enjoy a stress-free festive outing. Parents can relax and indulge in 2Taps full tapas and drinks menu including the renowned Sunday Roast or special Christmas Menu with a Spanish twist, freshly prepared by the restaurant’s talented kitchen team. The cosy festive atmosphere will be enhanced by live music from Joe Kennedy, performing from 2pm to 5pm, creating the perfect backdrop for a joyful family afternoon.
Exhibition Details