1. Belfast named Unesco City of Music
Belfast, Northern Ireland’s cosmopolitan capital, has been named the 2022 Unesco City of Music. Following in the footsteps of Liverpool and Glasgow, it’s only the third city in the UK to be awarded the status – which is held by just 59 cities worldwide – and it’s hosting a series of music-themed events over the coming months to celebrate. Visitors keen to get under the skin of Belfast’s burgeoning music scene would do well to start on the Belfast Traditional Music Trail, which begins in the friendly Dirty Onion bar in the Cathedral Quarter, then pop in to the Oh Yeah Music Centre creative hub and the EastSide Visitor Centre, which concentrates on the high notes of the city’s musical heritage.
2. Game of Thrones Studio Tour launches in County Down
Northern Ireland has provided the backdrop for many hit TV series and films, and clients will be excited to visit attractions such as the highly anticipated Game of Thrones Studio Tour, which opened to guests this February in Banbridge, County Down. The new interactive experience brings to life the original sets, costumes, props and set pieces of the hugely popular fantasy series, with the aim being to bring visitors closer to the Seven Kingdoms than ever before.
3. Whiskey Distillery launches in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter
Titanic Distillers has been given the go-ahead to transform the historic Titanic Pump-House into a new whiskey distillery and tourist attraction. This listed building in the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter will offer visitors distillery tours, inspiring exhibitions, a speakeasy bar, a cafe and a gift shop once it opens in June. The newly restored Deer’s Head and Bells Brewery may also be a hit with those who like a tipple in surroundings steeped with history and tradition.
4. Art installation comes to Derry~Londonderry
Travellers might like to plan their trip to Derry~Londonderry in April or May to coincide with the much-anticipated Our Place in Space walking installation. This is a 10km-long sculpture trail lining the edges of Lough Foyle that depicts the stars and planets of our solar system. The exhibit will spend two months at Lough Foyle before moving on to locations including Divis and the Black Mountain, the Ulster Transport Museum and the North Down Coastal Path.
5. Derry~Londonderry welcomes new TV series
Derry Girls, a TV series that follows a group of feisty friends and showcases local life in Derry~Londonderry, will release a new season this spring and give visitors the opportunity to fall in love with Northern Ireland’s second city.
6. Belfast hits the big screen
The country’s capital is the setting for new Golden Globe-awarded film Belfast. The movie hit cinemas on 21 January, stars Jamie Dornan and Judi Dench, and tells the story of a young boy and his working-class family living in the city during the late 1960s.
7. Titanic Belfast celebrates 10th birthday
Titanic Belfast, a world-leading visitor attraction and must-see on any visit to Northern Ireland, has cause for celebration this year as it marks a decade since its launch.
8. Belfast given sustainable city status
How we might better protect our planet in the future is a shared goal across Northern Ireland. In fact, the destination is so sustainability-focused that Belfast was named one of the world’s top 20 sustainable cities by the Global Destination Sustainability Index in October last year.
With so many new things to experience, alongside iconic legacy attractions, there’s never been a better time to Press the Green Button and book a trip to Northern Ireland for clients today.
Always check the latest travel and public health advice at ireland.com. Find more information at trade.ireland.com.
