Events on the Maritime Mile

The Maritime Mile is the perfect place to hold an event – we have small and adaptable spaces, large slipways, indoor venues of differing sizes, and some really unique spaces.

The Maritime Festival

We work closely with local partners, Belfast City Council, Titanic Quarter Limited and Belfast Harbour to animate the waterfront area during the Belfast Maritime Festival. Tall ships and smaller vessels dock at Queen’s Quays and the marina, and the surrounding open areas contain fun activities for families, along with an array of performers, musicians, flash mobs and numerous street food traders. We’ve had everything from ziplines to traditional ropemakers, face painters, model boat displays, linen weavers, climbing walls, archery, magicians, flashmobs featuring dancing policemen, to mascots having a danceoff with events staff. The Maritime Festival has increased in size and scope year on year, and now covers the entire Maritime Mile, attracting 100,000 visitors every year, and during the Tall Ships Festival, up to 500,000 visitors.

In conjunction with Belfast City Council and Belfast Harbour, Maritime Belfast are currently reviewing the Maritime Festival. A team of international consultants have been appointed and our aim is to position the Maritime Festival as a signature event for Belfast and Northern Ireland. Recommendations for the festival will be implemented from 2021 onwards.

If you want to get involved or share ideas for the Maritime Festival, or hold an event on the Maritime Mile, get in touch and we can provide details of available spaces, capacities and facilities.

Animating the Maritime Mile

Maritime Belfast works with many artists and performers across the calendar year to animate spaces along the Maritime Mile. We recently extended our charitable purposes to include culture and arts. We’re currently looking for options for extending Riverbox, a audio-visual art installation.

If you are a local artist or performer and want to discuss ideas you have for animating the Maritime Mile, get in touch.

Street Trading

Street traders are a valuable resource during events and festivals on the Maritime Mile, and Maritime Belfast have worked with Belfast City Council, Titanic Quarter Limited and Belfast Harbour to designate local street trading pitches on the Maritime Mile.

We are in the process of putting together a detailed street trading plan for the area – this would look at timings, types of businesses to complement existing tenants, administration, maintenance and promotion.

Due to the impact of COVID-19 the street trading pitches are currently unavailable. A number of businesses in the area have had to close due to the restrictions placed on hospitality and visitor attractions, and there are not the usual numbers of visitors on the Maritime Mile. 

In the meantime, we are still taking the details of interested traders. To be considered for a pitch, get in touch with us.

You must have been approved by Belfast City Council and can provide all of the necessary certificates along with your licence when requested.

Register as a street trader and more information is available on the Belfast City Council website.