ChilliFest In Hot Belfast Return

The popular festival of hot Americana, ChilliFest, has announced it will be back in Custom House Square, Belfast for 2011.

Taking place under a (hopefully) blazing June sun from 25 June - 26 June, the festival is part of the annual Open House Festival in the city Belfast.

The event features some of the hottest chilli peppers known to man and whether you'd simply like to satisfy your curiosity by tasting one, or in your misguided confidence you're prepared to enter the onstage chilli eating competition is up to you.

There will also be lots of live music, beer and oddities, while presiding over proceedings as usual is the fiery femme fatale, Miss Lucifire.

Organisers promise the fieriest Chillifest yet, with old favourites such as infamous chilli eating competitions, Hotter than Hell fancy dress, the octave-straddling Helium Karaoke, Vintage Rocks Hair Styling and a little light beard grooming on offer alongside such new delights as Banjo Ninja, Caravan Jam and the Ragin' Cajun Hog Roast.

Musical accompaniment over the weekend comes in the form of London's Alabama Three and the dark and beautifully twisted Urban Voodoo Machine as well as a host of red neck, blue collar, hillbilly, swamp and Cajun music from as far afield as The Appalachian Mountains and the wilds of Randalstown.

Open House director Kieran Gilmore said: "ChilliFest has become an essential fixture not only in the Open House programme but as a fabulous event in it's own right in Belfast's cultural calendar.

"Year on year Chillifest has grown with the main festival to become something with a life all of its own. We love the fact that our 'festival within a festival' goes from strength to strength and we're hoping that in the sweltering June sunshine, this year's Chillifest will be hotter than ever."

ChilliFest 2011 takes place on 25 and 26 June at Custom House Square, Belfast

Gates open at 12pm. No admission after 4pm. All day car parking at Donegal Quay Car Park only £3 - just quote 'ChilliFest'.

(DW/BMCC)