{"id":24807,"date":"2026-02-16T10:42:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/?p=24807"},"modified":"2026-02-16T10:42:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:42:03","slug":"lough-in-spring-with-the-feel-good-festival-at-portico-of-ards-this-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/2026\/02\/lough-in-spring-with-the-feel-good-festival-at-portico-of-ards-this-march\/","title":{"rendered":"Lough in Spring with the Feel Good Festival at Portico of Ards This March"},"content":{"rendered":"

This March, the Portico of Ards in Portaferry comes alive as the Feel Good Festival<\/strong> (1-31) returns, transforming the historic venue into a vibrant celebration of music, arts, and the senses. Against the beautiful coastal backdrop,<\/strong> audiences are invited to embrace the spring season with experiences that are intimate, joyful, and inspiring.<\/h4>\n

Highlighting this year\u2019s festival are luminous performances that will take you on a musical journey that captures the magic of renewal, all carefully curated to create emotional resonance and connection. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Pic 2 Tessa Ann from Spring Equinox Sound Spa and internationally renowned singer Peter Corry MBE with his new concert One Singer Some Songs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The festival opens on 1 March<\/strong> with the much-loved The Fureys<\/strong> in their farewell concert, already sold out<\/strong>, setting the tone for a month of unforgettable performances. Comedy fans will be delighted by Emer Maguire<\/strong> on 6 March<\/strong> and Terry McHugh<\/strong> on 13 March<\/strong>, while classical enthusiasts can revel in the soaring harmonies of The Gesualdo Six<\/strong> on 7 March<\/strong> and the cinematic elegance of the Piatti Quartet<\/strong> performing music from the movies on 15 March<\/strong>. Folk lovers will be enchanted by The Henry Girls and Lore<\/strong> on 14 March<\/strong>, and audiences can immerse themselves in the Spring Equinox Sound Spa with Tessa Ann<\/strong> on 22 March,<\/strong> dance the night away 80s style with Spring Break<\/strong> on 28 March<\/strong>, hear the enduring classics of Peter Corry: One Singer Some Songs<\/strong> on 21 March<\/strong> or attend his confidence building workshop that afternoon, and experience the vocal artistry of Niamh O\u2019Sullivan and Gary Beecher<\/strong> on 29 March<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Portico of Ards itself becomes part of the performance,<\/strong> its historic architecture and breathtaking coastal setting enhancing every note, every laugh, and every shared moment. Each event is designed with curation and intimacy in mind, offering audiences the rare opportunity to encounter artists up close in a space where the surroundings amplify the experience.<\/p>\n

Supported by Ards and North Down Borough Council and The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, <\/strong>the festival celebrates artistic excellence and range,<\/strong> presenting Irish and international talent across multiple genres.<\/p>\n

Feel Good Festival Director, Neil McClure<\/strong>, said:<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe Feel Good Festival at The Portico of Ards is about more than music – it is about joy, connection, and renewal. This March our carefully curated diverse programme of performances will invite audiences to engage deeply with sound, space, and each other, leaving everyone refreshed and inspired. With a huge thanks to Ards and North Down Borough Council and The National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for their support.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

For tickets and further information visit www.porticoards.com. <\/strong>Follow Feel Good Festival via Portico of Ards<\/strong> on Instagram and Facebook @porticoportaferry and join the conversation with #FeelGoodFestival2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This March, the Portico of Ards in Portaferry comes alive as the Feel Good Festival (1-31) returns, transforming the historic venue into a vibrant celebration of music, arts, and the senses. Against the beautiful coastal backdrop, audiences are invited to embrace the spring season with experiences that are intimate, joyful, and inspiring. Highlighting this year\u2019s … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24807"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24807"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24807\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24809,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24807\/revisions\/24809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}