THE biggest community arts festival in Ireland kicks off today (Thursday), with over 350 events across 50 venues. 

Féile an Phobail will celebrate its 35th anniversary this month from 3-13 August. The festival will once again include major sporting events, world renowned musicians, exhibitions, debates and discussions, drama and much more.

The first week of the Féile will see the much-anticipated return of the '80s and '90s Night with international superstars headlining the Falls Park concert including Soft Cell’s Marc Almond, Boyzlife featuring Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden, FiveStar, Abba Arrival from Sweden, all under the stewardship of DJ Johnny Hero.

Féile will include five open-air concerts with Féile Fight Night kicking off on Friday headlined by Pádraig McCrory and featuring Seán McComb.

Renowned singer and songwriter Phil Coulter will be appearing live at St Comgall's on Divis Street on Sunday for a night of music and dance.

Saturday will be a family fun day filled with activities for all the children to enjoy. The Féile Carnival Parade will bring families onto the Falls Road concluding with the Party in the Park at Spórtlann na hÉireann which includes inflatables, climbing tower, archery, sporting events, go-karts, face painting, games, and some of your favourite superhero characters.

At Dunville Park on Sunday, the Teddy Bears Picnic will take place with inflatables, arts and crafts, petting farm, climbing tower, archery, drumming circle, with a few other surprises thrown in. Just make sure you grab a packed lunch, a blanket, Teddy Bear, and of course its owner. There will be a competition on the day for the ‘Best Dressed Teddy Bear and Owner.’

The debates and discussions programme includes a wealth of prominent speakers and panellists including former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn MP this Thursday night at St Mary’s for the The Choices for Ireland event. The Annual James Connolly Lecture will feature trade union legend Terry O’Sullivan, General President Emeritus of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.

For those interested in walking tours with a historical twist, The Falls Road Mural Tour will be led by activists and political ex-prisoners from within the republican community on various dates throughout the Féile for a three-hour walking tour providing in-depth insight into the most recent phase of the conflict. 

The 1798 Walking Tour with historians Sean Napier and Colm Dore will also take place on both Saturdays of the Féile, sharing the incredible 1798 journey through Belfast’s hidden and illustrious past. Be taken through time from Belfast’s humble beginnings to the advent of the Presbyterian enlightenment period that leads to the
formation of the United Irishmen in Belfast October 1791 and thus the beginning of the radical political tradition of republicanism for the next 230 years. 

Féile 35 will be taking place from 3rd-13th August and the full Féile events programme is available here.