11/05/2006

Belfast to celebrate City Hall's 100th Birthday

The annual Lord Mayor's Show is to be turned into one of the biggest street parties ever seen in the city.

The event will be turned in to a carnival with a theme of 'celebrate Belfast' and will mark the 100th anniversary of Belfast City Hall.

The street party will be held at the end of the month, and will include giant floats, stilt walkers and hundreds of street performers as well as featuring a giant City Hall birthday cake.

The carnival will also include revellers dressed up as city centre landmarks, candles and birthday presents, which is aimed at keeping up the party momentum in well known areas such as the Albert Clock and Big Fish.

Lord Mayor Wallace Brown said the event was an opportunity to show off the city's creative talents.

"Over the last three years, the Lord Mayor's Show has changed and evolved, and it has developed a distinctive carnival feel that allows the creative talent of the city to be put on show for all to see.

"That is why this year, for the 50th show, we have decided to rename it the Lord Mayor's Carnival, to more accurately reflect what the show has become, a carnival to remember."

BEAT, the Belfast carnival company, is currently working with artists and community groups, as well as bands from all corners of Ireland to bring the carnival party alive on Saturday May 27.

A road show will entertain the crowds at City Hall before and after the main parade around the city streets, and the hugely popular Continental Market returns to the City Hall grounds for the Bank Holiday weekend.

(EF/SP)

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