Belfast is set to be transformed into a hub of creativity next month as the Belfast Children’s Festival returns for its 28th year. Running from 5–14 March, the event—curated by Young at Art—will feature over 100 performances and workshops specifically designed for audiences ranging from infants to grandparents. This year’s programme places a significant emphasis on inclusivity and diversity, offering a mix of international premieres, sensory-friendly dance, and free family activities across the city.

A highlight of the line-up is The Little Prince from The Egg Theatre and Toby Thompson (Bath), bringing Saint-Exupéry's classic to life for children and adults, exploring friendship and the essentials of life.

For the very youngest audiences, Dutch company Weisse Circustheater presents Be Kind, a gentle circus-theatre experience for babies aged 6–18 months featuring sound, colour and movement, with a post-show invitation for little ones to explore the stage alongside the artists.

Families can get hands-on with Second Hand Dance's The Sticky Dance; the UK & Irish premiere of Shall we….. together by Belgian company tout petit will be accompanied by intergenerational activities linking nursery schools and care homes; and Scotland's Barrowland Ballet returns with The Unexpected Gift, an inclusive dance-theatre piece for children with complex needs that turns leftover boxes, ribbons and wrapping into a sensory wonderland. French duo Cirque Content Pour Peu add comic flair with By Trial and Error.

Local favourites are well represented, with Irish premieres from Maiden Voyage Dance and Circusful, alongside work by Emmen Jude Donnelly and Stephen Beggs. Many events are free, and the Festival Family Day Out takes place on Saturday 7 March.

Eibhlín de Barra, Director of Young at Art, said: "We're delighted to present the 28th Belfast Children's Festival filled with happiness, joy and kindness, as well as side splitting laughter! We will bring over 100 events to families during the Festival this year, with offerings for babies, families, intergenerational groups and neurodivergent audiences, all of which will bring the city to life and fill the streets with laughter and fun. "We will be joined by Weisse Circus from the Netherlands with Be Kind; Second Hand Dance's The Sticky Dance which will literally see children and families tape, stick and groove together, and get 'stuck in' to the dance! For dance lovers, the UK & Irish premiere of 'Shall we….. together' is simply beautiful. For the first time we will be bringing this performance from Flemish company tour petit to older generations through a series of planned intergenerational activities with care homes and nursery schools, where young children and adults can participate together. Barrowland Ballet will join us again from Scotland with, 'The Unexpected Gift' to reveal playfulness, creativity and imagination as the gifts. Dancers create a sensory wonderland from left-over boxes, ribbons and wrapping in this inclusive dance-theatre performance especially for children with complex needs, allowing playfulness between the audience and performers. Audiences will be splitting their sides laughing at the antics of Circus duo Cirque Content Pour Peu in By Trial and Error, which brings the funny side to drama and team-working.

"We are looking forward to featuring performances from local artists with Irish Premieres from long time festival-favourites Maiden Voyage Dance and Circusful, Emmen Jude Donnelly and Stephen Beggs. There will be many free events and workshops for children and their grownups with our Festival Family Day Out taking place on Saturday 7th March, the first weekend of the festival.

"As ever, we simply couldn't bring the quality of Festival to our communities without the support of our funders. We continue to be indebted to our principal funders Arts Council NI and Belfast City Council for supporting children and families to immerse themselves in creativity, illuminating their imagination and love of fun.

"The Festival will this year host 35 distinguished delegates including representatives from across the world providing a wonderful platform for local artists to export the best performance work we have for young audiences to international festivals."

Billed as the biggest children's festival in Ireland and the UK, the 2026 edition runs from 5–14 March. View the full programme and book at youngatart.co.uk/whats-on/.