Summer Trends. Sleek suits. Menswear at its best. At long last the time has come for the men of Northern Ireland to gain their own unique place on the Northern Irish fashion calendar. MAN TIME is promising you the BEST TIME.

Our Events NI has built up an impressive reputation through its renowned Bridal Fairs and Ladies Night moving recently into the Fashion Show forte. Brainstorming with an exciting and colourful team from all sorts of creative backgrounds looking for those extra special ideas to push the boundaries to boldly go where no major NI Events team has gone before. MAN TIME is set to be an event like no other.

Taking place on Sunday June 17, aka Father’s Day, MAN TIME coincides with the closing of London Collections: Men. The three day exclusive Menswear Fashionweek and the first of its kind, showcasing the very best of British designers the UK has to offer.

Naturally we want in on the action and what better way to do so than to create our own Menswear debut show presenting the best brands NI has at its disposal. Including a handful of talented local designers presenting their first ever male catwalk creations from Van Der Simon Knitwear, Dave Henderson and Nor Lisa Fashion. Three up-and-coming design students from University of Ulster are also set to debut promising to be both creative and innovative in their menswear pieces.

MAN TIME will display collections from major testosterone induced designer brands. Pepe Jeans, Clockwork Orange, North Clothing, BANK, Cruise and Hugo Boss . With House of Fraser lending looks of masculinity from their exclusive house brands and extravagant designer ranges.

Luxury unique footwear will be supplied by international shoe haven Dune. Whilst Queen’s Arcade’s The Watch Store is lending modern, catwalk spotted designs from Gucci to Guess to Swatch and CK. Funky. Sleek. High quality wrist wear for the modern gent. Ticking all the boxes. Pun intended.

Sporting a variety of stylish looks from upcoming Summer trends modelled by hand-picked and relatively unknown male models. DJs and guest performers will also feature prominently throughout. All taking place on the slightly raised, contemporary catwalk serving to entice and excite from start to finish.

Our Events NI co-founder and Managing Director Kerrie Mann commented, “Its been a long time coming and we are beyond excited to be involved in providing Belfast with the first men’s only fashion based event. An exciting event which will undoubtedly draw attention for the fashion conscious guys in NI.”

John Gerard O’Neill will be on hand to style the guys from head to toe having gained invaluable catwalk experience from the likes of Victoria Square shows, Belfast’s West Coast Cooler Fashion Week and more recently El Divino’s sensational Walking On Water.

John Gerard commented “This show is one of a kind and a much needed asset to the emerging Belfast fashion scene. The male fashion scene in Belfast is still quite small but this event will open the doors for a growing market here in NI crying out for their own exclusive event.”

Of course no successful fashion show is complete without fashion forward hair and in this case, stubble. Courtesy of the award winning and expertly recognised Jason Shankey. Providing our models with a well groomed look of both cool and stylish proportions. Brenda Shankey said, “Its very exciting for Belfast to host the very first Men’s show. We are looking forward to being part of such a prestigious
event.”

MAN TIME will be held in the recently refurbished Ivory Restaurant & Bar sitting on top of Belfast’s Victoria Square. The hive of all things high-street and high-end alike. Breath-taking views. Stunning surroundings. The perfect setting to usher in MAN TIME in all its catwalk glory. Did we mention they have a bar?

Perfect for that not-to-be-missed after party. MAN TIME will kick off at 7pm. Men will walk at 9pm. Tickets are priced at £10. Guests will be treated to a drinks reception, a red-carpet photo-op and a man-packed goodie bag appropriately named the Man Bag.

Local Fashion, Lifestyle and Entertainment free online and hard copy publication 7Magazine are the proud media sponsors.

For more information regarding tickets or queries please contact Kerrie Mann at Our Events NI via 07834370006 or email info@oureventsni.com

To celebrate the launch of the free visitor app, ‘Causeway Companion – which is ‘the local’s guide to the Causeway Coast’ – app makers, Awakin.com are giving you the chance to win great local prizes with their fun competition – it’s a competition with a twist! There’s a grand prize up for grabs and lots of weekly give-a-aways!

Your challenge is to unlock the ‘mystery word’ by getting a high score on their fun online game. The game is called ‘Drop In On N.I.’, in which you guide our dare devil wee wave champion Sandy Surfer (a north coast dude with bags of attitude) through targets as he sky dives onto the Causeway Coast!

It’s not going to be easy so to be fair to non gamers, you can enter into the weekly draws by submitting to the competition with your name and email. You can play it as many times as you want so If you manage to unlock the mystery word you’ll be entered into our grand prize draw, which is an activity break for 2 persons Dinner Bed and Breakfast for 2 nights at the most splendid Roe Park Resort, Limavady!

To enter simply follow the link over to our website CausewayCompanion.com – click the game tab, play the game and enter the competition.

Keep an eye out for that mystery word, we’ll give you a clue – it appears somewhere after 500 points so keep playing until you get it and good luck!

This Project was sponsored by Awakin.com. They build Simple, Practical and useful Smartphone apps to support your visitor’s experience and to get you started in the fastest growing market in the world – Apps! So why not visit their site for a look at the latest ideas to help you grow your business! www.awakin.com

View the demo – video how to play and win!

Take the kids back in time this Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend at the special Vintage Cartoon Wonderland taking place in Bangor’s Castle Park on June 3^rd and 4^th.

Inspired by all things creative from 1952; toys, feature length cartoons and TV, Firsty Creative and North Down Borough Council have collaborated to bring to life this magical wonderland which will be part of The Council’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration Events.

An entire area of Castle Park will be transformed for the weekend into a 50s-style play-experience – look out for old friends Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben and other surprises in a celebration of the creations of the 50s. There’ll be treasure hunts, crafts, a tea party, plant-potting, dressing up and lots more, guaranteed to keep the kids entertained for hours with lots of nostalgia for the adults!

Follow the White Rabbit down the rabbit-hole and visit (or perhaps revisit!) favorite character’s from the 1950’s.  The Mad Hatter will set the scene for a crafty tea-party, with plenty of games and of course the Cheshire Cat will be looking on, but can you find him? Noddy and his Toy Town friends will pose for a picture and Andy Pandy’s dress-up box will be open ready for a rummage so boys and girls can dress up to their heart’s delight!

We want everyone to check under their beds and down the sofas and bring any pieces of stray Lego down to our Lego Amnesty. Help us build a massive sculpture using all your old Lego!

The Cowboys and Indians will be there too and have set up their teepees and you are welcome to come and sit around their REAL pretend fire. Bill and Ben will lead you to the Walled Garden where Firsty Artists have been transforming it into an amazing Sculpture Garden.

So get into the 50s spirit on and prepare to step back in time this June Bank Holiday when you come and celebrate the Diamond Jubilee with us, lots of fun and entertainment for the whole family for the whole weekend from 12 – 6pm both days.

For further information on The Cartoon Wonderland or the entire Diamond Jubilee Events programme, please phone our Tourist Information Centre on: 028 9127 0069 or visit www.northdowntourism.com

TICKETS ON SALE 9:00am FRIDAY 25TH MAY

INCLUDING:

Sunday 17th March –  Belfast Odyssey Arena (£35.50 / £27.50 Including booking fee)
Monday 18th March –  Dublin O2 Arena (€41.55/  €33.50 Euros Including booking fee)    

It’s been another whirlwind of a year so far for Jessie J who takes another step closer to world domination. Jessie has proven she is one of the hottest pop star’s on the planet right now having hit the #1 spot in 19 countries world-wide selling 11 million singles and over 2.5 million copies of her multi-platinum debut album ‘Who You Are’. In the UK alone Jessie has sold 1 million albums and secured two #1 singles with ‘Price Tag’ and ‘Domino’.

In February 2013 Jessie will be taking her phenomenal live show on the road for her first 12-date UK & Ireland arena tour. The tour will follow a string of summer festival appearances including Wireless, Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend, Isle of White, Ibiza and Mallorca Live, T in the Park and Capital FM’s Summertime Ball.

The Irish Leg of the tour sees Jessie perform in The Odyssey Arena Belfast on Sunday 17th March followed by Dublin 02 Arena on Monday 18th March. Tickets go on sale this Friday 25th May at 9am from Ticketmaster & all usual outlets

Jessie’s latest single ‘Laserlight’ featuring David Guetta smashed into the top 10 6 weeks ahead of release making it her 6th top ten UK single resulting her breaking UK chart history with the most top ten hits off one album. Jessie is the first UK solo artist to have achieved this feat, with only Take That’s 2010 album ‘Progress’ and Lady Gaga’s debut album Fame equalling such incredible chart success in the UK.

Early June sees the conclusion of Jessie’s success as a coach on the BBC’s primetime Saturday night talent show The Voice with Jessie also confirmed to take to the stage in Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations alongside music legends Sir Paul McCartney & Sir Elton John.

2013 UK TOUR DATES:

Tuesday 26th February                        Nottingham at Capital FM Arena
Wednesday 27th February            Brighton Centre
Friday 1st March                        Birmingham LG Arena
Saturday 2nd March                        Manchester Arena
Sunday 3rd March                        Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
Tuesday 5th March                        Liverpool Echo Arena
Wednesday 6th March             Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
Thursday 7th March                        Bournemouth International Centre
Saturday 9th March                        London O2 Arena
Tuesday 12th March                        Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
Thursday 14th March                        Glasgow SECC
Friday 15th March                        Aberdeen AECC

IRISH TOUR DATES:
Sunday 17th March                         Belfast Odyssey Arena
Monday 18th March                        Dublin O2 Arena

Website: http://bit.ly/JessieJ-OfficialSite
Twitter: http://bit.ly/JessieJ-Twitter
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/JessieJ-Facebook

www.mcd.ie

To purchase tickets

£35.50 / £27.50 Including booking fee
In person: From 100 Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide
By Telephone (24 Hour):
ROI – 0818 719 300, Northern Ireland – 0844 277 44 55
Buy Online: www.ticketmaster.ie <http://www.ticketmaster.ie>

Looking for something to do on Sunday, 3rd June?

How about packing a picnic, gathering your family and friends and heading down to Bangor’s Castle Park to take part in The Jubilee Big Lunch? Set out the rug, relax and be entertained by the jazz tones of AJ Brown & The Swing Shift Big Band and the delightful Jacqui Dankworth in the beautiful surrounds of Bangor’s Town Hall.

The Lottery-funded Big Jubilee Lunch is part of the programme of events to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, as announced by Buckingham Palace, and has Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall as its patron. Led by the Eden Project, the aim of The Big Jubilee Lunch is to encourage neighbourhoods to come together to share lunch and a few hours of community, friendship and fun. Last year the best part of two million people took part and this year record numbers are anticipated to join in.

Northern Ireland Big Lunch representative Gráinne McCloskey said: “We are delighted North Down Council made The Big Jubilee Lunch an integral part of their exciting extended Diamond Jubilee weekend celebrations. It’s hoped that hundreds of families will turn of the TV and come to Castle Park on Sunday 3rd June, bring a picnic, a rug and a willingness to chill out and have good old fashioned conversations and enjoy celebrating all that is good about where they live. The hope is that they will go on to have annual Big Lunches in their streets and local areas for years to come.”

So come along to Castle Park on June 3rd from 2pm, kick back, enjoy the atmosphere and the music and be part of this national initiative!

For further information, please phone our Tourist Information Centre on: 028 9127 0069 or visit www.northdowntourism.com or www. thebiglunch.com

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland will be starting its mid-summer steam train season by offering people a unique and stylish way to travel to Bangor for the afternoon on Saturday 26th May.

Passengers on this year’s Bangor Belle Steam Train will be able to experience the thrill of steam train travel from the Titanic era.

Indeed, should you want to, this is an opportunity to let the steam train take you all the way from Whitehead Excursion Station, Carrickfergus, Belfast Central or Lisburn to Bangor and back again.  All the way around Belfast Lough where Titanic first sailed.

By offering a steam train – a unique and enjoyable means of travel – passengers, especially families, will be able to enjoy a few hours by the sea, without the hassle of traffic jams and car parking.

It is hoped that the locomotive at the head of the train will be No.461, built in Manchester and celebrating its 90^th birthday this year.  It has only just returned to operation following an 11 year restoration, largely carried out by volunteers at the Society engineering workshops at Whitehead, County Antrim.  The Bangor Belle Steam Train will be its first public passenger train to Bangor.  It is sure to make plenty of steam locomotive noise as it tackles the steep climb from Holywood, through Cultra!

The train will offer passengers travel in lovingly restored carriages, the opportunity for children (and more nostalgic adults) to get close to the steam engine and talk to the driver and fireman and a relaxing journey through the North Down countryside to Bangor.

RPSI Operations Officer Mervyn Darragh commented: “We are pleased to offer this car-free means for passengers to travel to Bangor on a summer Saturday. The steam train works in perfectly; offering families time in Bangor for a walk, some shopping or even to sample some model steam trains at the First Bangor Model Railway Society exhibition for which ticket holders will get discounted admission.”

“We always enjoy helping the public and especially children to get closer to the industrial heritage we maintain. A steam train just oozes atmosphere and we would especially appreciate the public sending us drawings, notes or poems about their day out on the steam train for posting on our website.”

Departure times:

Whitehead RPSI Excursion Station 12:35
Carrickfergus 12:50
Belfast Central 13:20
Lisburn 14:25

Return departure from Bangor at 17:40

Tickets (Adult £14, Child £12) are available in person, by phone or on-line only
from:

Belfast Welcome Centre
47 Donegall Place
Belfast
BT1 5AD

+44 28 9024 6609

www.steamtrainsireland.com

Advance ticket purchase IS essential!

A series of evening “Steam and Jazz” trains on 8th, 15^th and 22^nd June and 6^th July, with the Apex Jazz Band on-board, make up the rest of the mid-summer steam train calendar.  Tickets are already on sale for these popular trains.

The the real fun of the fair is on Tuesday 22 May when the main street will be closed off for the horse trading fair and visitors can get a bargain from the market stalls around the town. Hugo Duncan will return again this year for a live concert broadcast, but younger talent will be on display in the evening at the Talent Show. There will also be amusements, pie making , bouncy castles and face painting to amuse children of all ages.

Then at nighttime the first ever Autotest Night will take place – come along and see the drivers challenge each other in a series of scary tricks and manoeuvres.

After the success of last year’s Comedy Night, May McFettridge & Gene Fitzpatrick are guaranteed to have everyone rolling the aisles of the town hall on Friday 25 May.

Saturday 26 May really will be a crowd pleaser as pirates and princesses is the theme for the parade, arts workshops and kids party and Mr. Hullaballoo will be telling the tales of Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. The toe-tapping sounds of buskers will fill the air around the town as they compete for the £1000 prize fund in the Big Busking Bonanza. In the evening, the Phat Katz will provide a free concert at Six Mile Leisure Centre before an amazing fireworks display at the Comrades grounds.

There’s plenty sport throughout the week, with the It’s a Knockout, soccer competition, dance competition and cricket blitz, as well as quiz nights, a talk on tracing your family history and the annual pet show.

So there’s lots of reasons to come to the May Fair this year – make a day of it and treat the family.

For more information  see www.ballyclaremayfair.com or follow us on Facebook.

Some of the world’s greatest blues and jazz artists will be performing at the 14^th Guinness® International Blues on the Bay Festival, as the line up for the five day event was launched at Narrow Water Castle today.

Home to the annual Guinness International Blues on the Bay festival, the picturesque Warrenpoint will host Cream front man Jack Bruce and Jimi Hendrix’s brother Leon Hendrix who will headline the festival which takes place from the 24^th to 28^th May.

Performers from the USA, mainland Europe and GB will join home grown talent at the event which has developed into one of the world’s most popular blues festivals hosting over 90 gigs.

Paul Callan, Diageo Northern Ireland, said: “Everyone at Guinness is looking forward to the 14^th Annual Guinness International Blues on the Bay Festival which promises to be the best programme yet.  Jazz and blues fans are passionate about music and what better way to celebrate the diversity and range of global talent than having many of the world’s best artists perform in the beautiful Warrenpoint.  This event continues to grow in stature with each festival year and along with other special events in Northern Ireland in 2012 it is helping to build momentum within our tourism sector, an area that we are passionate about and are committed to supporting.”

One of the main features of the festival weekend will be the famous ‘Guinness Bay Blues Pub Trail’, which will feature over 60 free gigs across the 5 days.  At these events audiences will be treated to a host of internationally acclaimed performers including Ex. Mama’s Boys; Pat McManus, Liverpool’s ‘Xander and the Peace Pirates’ and New York guitar ace; Chaz Depaolo.  Other stand out performers at the festival will include Jack Moore (son of guitar legend Gary Moore) Mirenda Rosenberg, Kathleen Pearson, Rab McCullough, and The Bluez Katz Blues Band.

Commenting on the programme, Event Director, Ian Sands said, “This year’s event will surpass all others with over 40 performers providing free high class blues to an international blues audience creating the essential ingredients for what will be a world class music event. Jack Bruce and his ‘Big Blues Band’ will perform in an all-new fully seated festival marquee in the majestic gardens of Narrow Water Castle, which is destined to be the gig of the year”

“With high profile events including a live Broadcast by BBC’s Ralph McLean on festival opening night, the 14^th Annual International Guinness Blues on the Bay Festival 2012 is an unmissable event,” concluded Ian.

In addition to the international and local performers, budding blues musicians will have the opportunity to brush up on their musical skills or discover hidden talents with the popular ‘hands-on’ music workshops. The fun will also extend to the beautiful Edwardian town park where there will be band concerts, a 70-piece band and a food fest. The park entertainment is part of the all-new ‘Bluesberry’ event.

A former Northern Ireland Tourist Board ‘Event of the Year’ Award winner, the event attracts visitors from all over the world and continues to grow in footfall year on year.

Visit www.bluesonthebay.com or call the ticket hotline 02890246609 for further details (Regular updates on Facebook).

Festival poster programme’s available from Newry and Mourne’s Tourist Offices or Belfast Welcome Centre to pick up a festival poster program.

The International Guinness Blues on the Bay Festival is supported by; Diageo, The Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Newry and Mourne District Council, United States Consulate, The Quays Newry, WBR Chamber of Commerce and P & O Irish Sea.

On the 21^st June 2012, Northern Ireland will join with over 100 countries spread over five continents to celebrate Fête de la Musique, also known as World Music Day.

La Fête de la Musique, initiated in France in 1982, has remarkably spreading out around the world. This international event, dedicated to musical practice and live music in general, open to all kinds of audience is really unique.

The celebration is currently hosted in more than 110 countries and 430 cities, with various kinds of participants:

educational structures, cultural centres, diplomatic networks, city councils, local authorities, ministries for culture, associations, artists, music professionals, music schools. Those public and private organizers of World Music Day activities can show through this joint event their desire to foster the visibility of the current artistic realities of their countries and to enhance cultural exchanges.

Beyond Skin / World Music NI are coordinating events for Northern Ireland working in partnership with Love: Live Music (Ireland) www.lovelivemusic.ie in connection with Féte de la Musique (Paris).

Currently there are over 200 free scheduled to take place across the whole Isle and in Northern Ireland World Music Day will form part of Refugee Week in partnership with NICRAS www.nicras.btck.co.uk

Confirmed events so far will be taking place in the City of Derry, Belfast and Newtownabbey and details will soon go online www.worldmusicni.com

If you wish to run an event / performance, please visit www.worldmusicni.com download and read carefully the Fête de la Musique principal’s document and send an email to worldmusicni@gmail.com with details of your event. Events can be on any scale from a singer in a bar to a concert in a school.

In an important Olympic sporting year for Northern Ireland, a new triathlon has been launched which will see 300 competitors swim, cycle and run their way around Belfast on Sunday July 1^st.

The INTERSPORT Belfast Titanic Triathlon will take place in the heart of the city and is hoping to attract both novices and experienced athletes, with two different race distances catering for varying levels of fitness.

Organised by a number of Belfast triathlon and running clubs, the event is part of the Titanic Belfast Festival and was developed due to the surge in the popularity of this fast growing sport.  The race will also test the proposed course for the prestigious 2013 World Police and Fire Games.

The Triathlon Ireland sanctioned event takes place in sheltered open water within Belfast Harbour, on a flat and very fast cycle route and finishes with a multi-lap run along some of Belfast’s major city centre thoroughfares.

Competitors will travel through the heart of the city, around Custom House Square, Harbour Estate and City Centre, passing a number of historic sites and visitor attractions.

Belfast City Council is hoping to grow the race to become a permanent fixture on the city’s sporting calendar.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, said: “It is fantastic to see a new sporting event on the calendar in such a momentous year for our city. The Belfast Titanic Triathlon will give people a chance to experience sport in the heart of the city as well as allowing us to showcase Belfast – and all that it has to offer – to visiting competitors and their supporters.”

Race organiser Stuart Kennedy said, “Triathlon is a core Olympic sport which will feature prominently in London this summer, hopefully with two of our local elite athletes competing. As one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK and Ireland, we wanted to give everyone in Belfast and beyond the opportunity to get involved in an event in the heart of the city.

“Sports tourism has also grown rapidly in recent years with people travelling to participate in city centre events, so this will hopefully provide another great reason for visitors to experience Northern Ireland in 2012,” he continued.

“Places on the inaugural Belfast Titanic Triathlon are limited to 300 and there has already been incredible interest in the event so get your spot booked quickly to avoid disappointment,” Stuart added.

Tom Foley, General Manager of title sponsor INTERSPORT, said, “We recognise the growing popularity of the triathlon and are delighted to be supporting the INTERSPORT Belfast Titanic Triathlon. We’re hoping to encourage people of all abilities to come from near and far to take part in what will be a historic sporting event and a new highlight on Northern Ireland’s sporting calendar. It is an ideal opportunity to bring sport to the people.”

The event is supported by Belfast City Council and SportNI. In addition to INTERSPORT, the race has partnered with major local retailer SS Moore as official kit suppliers and received support from McConvey Cycles, training provider Springvale Learning and international swimwear brand Aqua Sphere.

This event is not just for the elite with many first-timers signed up to experience a challenging triathlon. To find out more information about the race and to register for the event visit www.belfasttitanictriathlon.com.