Details of the ‘Beyond Blue’ themed festival were revealed in an update to members of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Business and Culture Committee at their monthly meeting held this week in Council’s Derry Road offices in Strabane.
The biggest event in the programme for the 2024 incarnation of the event will be the Festival Spectacle showcase on Saturday June 29th, a bespoke lighting extravaganza on and alongside the river with guest ships and boats, lighting installations, lasers and interactive crowd experiences.
Other core highlights include a showcase of the new DNA museum in the Heritage Tent, a Science of Water experience, tall ships, navy boats, boat tours, river races, taster sessions, the Maritime Markets and Maritime Melodies.
“The Foyle Maritime Festival is firmly established as one of the largest maritime events in Ireland and the UK, attracting 150,000 attendees when it was last hosted in 2022 and appealing to local, regional, national and international visitors,” explained Head of Culture at Council Aeidin McCarter.
“Preparations are well under way to transform the riverfront into an international marina with all the tastes, colours, scents, sights and sounds that come together to create the experience.
"The 2024 festival will take place along a 1.5 mile long event space on the city’s riverfront and will include a range of themed zones and performance spaces set to a backdrop of live music, animation, markets, visiting ships and boats, food, bars and bespoke events."
Members were also told there will be a new look Quay at the event which will include a big wheel, city beach, riverfront dining, festoon lighting, bespoke animation and vintage fairground rides.
In the absence of the Clipper Round the World fleet a greater emphasis will be placed on the Tall Ships element of the programme with six vessels secured to be on Derry quay for the duration of the festival: the Brocklebank, Phoenix, Irene, Klevia, La Malouine and the Leader.
A new feature of the schedule will be the addition to the popular Carnival of Colours festival, with In Your Space Circus planning to bring their world class animation spectacle to the quay over the four days.
The popular LegenDerry Street Food Festival will also return for the duration of the event, bringing together the best of local street food, live DJ sets and a unique dining experience.
For additional elements to programming updates on the 2024 Foyle Maritime Festival visit foylemaritime.com
