Open House Festival will return to Bangor this summer for a full month of events throughout August. This will be the twelfth annual Festival since Open House relocated to Bangor from Belfast in 2013, and, with almost one hundred events in the programme, it will attract around 50 thousand people to the city over the summer period.
Once again, the focal venues for ticketed events will be Bangor Castle Walled Garden and the Court House on Bangor seafront, the award-winning music and arts venue established by Open House in 2022.
Artists performing at the Walled Garden, which has become the Festival’s home from home since the pandemic, include Bangor’s own Gary Lightbody, musician, Snow Patrol front man, and most recently, published author. This will be a very different and incredibly personal hometown appearance for Gary. For two nights, on 26th and 27th August, he’ll be talking with the Irish author and broadcaster, Sinead Gleeson, about his book The Forest is the Path, which became an instant bestseller on its publication in March.
Other world class talents appearing at the Walled Garden include singers Lisa O’Neill and Mary Coughlan, plus folk duo, Ye Vagabonds. Paddy Raff makes a welcome return to the Garden, it’s difficult to imagine an Open House Festival without him, and comedians Chris Kent and Neil Delamere will also be performing on the garden’s stage.
Events taking place at the Court House include The Ocelots, twin brothers from Wexford now based in Germany, whose latest album, Everything, When Said Slowly, has garnered international acclaim. There’ll be a special Festival performance by Northern Ireland Opera, directed by Artistic Director, Cameron Menzies, and Blue Lights writer and director Declan Lawn will be chatting to Colin Bateman about the success of the Bafta winning drama.
Aside from Gary Lightbody, there are several other author events this year, including the former Labour cabinet member Alan Johnson, who returns for his fourth Open House visit to talk about his new book, Harold Wilson. Author Chris Whitaker will be discussing his international best-selling novel All The Colours of the Dark, and American writer Karen Hao will be talking about her new book, Empire of AI. All books featured at this year’s festival will be included in a special Open House promotion at Waterstones, Bangor.
“Open House aims to put the spotlight on Bangor’s creative talent and this year’s festival has some of our finest local artists performing in iconic venues throughout the city,” says Open House director, Kieran Gilmore. “From an interview with Gary Lightbody about his new book, to a conversation between Declan Lawn, BAFTA winning writer of Blue Lights, and local author Colin Bateman, to an intimate launch of a new EP by King Cedar, we’re bringing around 100 events across a whole range of art forms.”
One of the most poignant events this year will be the return of festival favourites Celtic Soul, the Van Morrison tribute band who have played at every Open House Festival since 2013. Their annual Bank Holiday Monday gigs in the Walled Garden have become legendary Open House events, but earlier this year the band lost their singer and front man Clarke Wilson. The remaining members are reuniting to pay tribute to Clarke at two special Walled Garden concerts, where a number of guest singers will join them on stage.
It wouldn’t be summer in Bangor without the annual Open House Festival Picnic in the Park series in Ward Park every Sunday afternoon throughout July and August. These free events bring thousands of people of all ages into the City centre and support local businesses. Acts performing this year include King’s Call, one of the greatest Thin Lizzy tribute acts in Ireland, The Arms of Venus de Milo, always a popular billing at Picnic in the Park, and the remarkable McClean Family, who delight audiences with their unique brand of Irish traditional music.
The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Gillian McCollum, said, “Ards and North Down Borough Council is delighted once again to support the Open House Festival – in this its 12th year. With at least 80 events in August, plus nine Sunday afternoon ‘Picnic in the Parks’, this year’s Festival will offer another packed programme of live events held in iconic Bangor venues such as the award-winning Court House and our beautiful Bangor Castle Walled Garden. It will encourage increased footfall to Bangor that will undoubtedly give our local economy a major boost. There will be something for everyone to enjoy, and I very much look forward to attending as many events as possible. I wish all those participating a very successful Festival.”
The entire Open House summer season gets underway on Friday 4th July with the annual Pickie to Pier swimming race, and while there is no Seaside Revival Vintage Festival this year due to restrictions on Bangor seafront, plans are afoot for something else exciting in the city, so watch this space.
“We hope that this year’s programme whets the appetite of our local audiences, as well as the many visitors who come from all over Ireland and beyond,” says Kieran. “For the full festival programme that includes lots more live music, comedy, poetry, art, markets, food and drink events, just go to the website. And don’t forget to join the festival mailing list for further updates as there are still some exciting announcements to come.”
Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 6th June. To purchase tickets and view the full programme go to:
Open House Festival is an arts charity supported by Ards & North Down Borough Council and Arts Council of Northern Ireland
