Expect plenty of wind beneath your sails as the Foyle Maritime Festival and the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race both dock in the Walled City of Derry this summer.
The award-winning Foyle Maritime Festival will be sailing back onto the banks of the River Foyle in Derry~Londonderry for its long-awaited return from 20 – 24 July this year.
The fifth edition of the much-loved summertime event will again welcome the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, one of the biggest challenges of the natural world.
Firmly established as one of the largest, most ambitious and unique maritime events in Europe, the massive Foyle Maritime Festival will offer live performances, ship tours, boat viewings, water activities, animated zones and many other treats and attractions.
The five-day event, which pulls in visitors from all over the world, promises large-scale experiences and an exhilarating programme of entertainment, activities and interactive events.
Highlights will include the Legenderry Street Food Festival, live music, on-street animation, marine-themed installations and much more still to be confirmed as the final touches are put to the programme.
The Foyle Maritime Festival theme for 2022 is ‘What Lies Beneath, a focus on the natural beauty of our oceans, rivers and lakes and the onus on all of us to protect and preserve marine life.
‘Take the Pledge’ will be the message, with a dedicated campaign encouraging festival-goers to sign up to be more eco-friendly.
Bringing to life the magic and wonder of the world underwater, the festival will feature breathtaking large-scale props, including an 18-metre-long whale, seemingly endless sea tentacles, illuminated jellyfish, giant sea urchins and more. Festival-goers can also look forward to a display of light, sound, and performance on a transformational trip through our oceans.
Central to the festival will be the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, famed for giving ordinary people the chance to achieve the extraordinary.
The race fleet is expected to arrive on 14 July and there will be tours and excursions to the 70-foot boats. As Derry~Londonderry is the race’s penultimate stop, festival-goers will get the chance to hear incredible tales of ambition, courage and passion from the people who have sailed around the world for the last eleven months.
Making the perfect summertime trip to Northern Ireland, joining the Foyle Maritime Festival also opens up the rich heritage of Ireland’s only walled city. Its thriving culture, music, arts and foodie scenes, gorgeous riverside setting, and a wealth of history, fine architecture, museums and attractions are all complemented by the glorious seventeenth-century city walls.
Close at hand, there are also the many delights of the celebrated Causeway Coastal Route and the breathtaking beauty of the Inishowen Peninsula in nearby County Donegal, the start of the Wild Atlantic Way.
