From wrestling to grooving - welcome to Culture Night

Aerial artist Ash Ashton is putting a spin on their contemporary dance routine

Culture Night's return to Belfast following a four-year hiatus would "bring community together", according to one of the artists taking part.

Thousands of people were expected to attend more than 100 free events and performances which were taking place across the city, as well as various activities being held throughout Northern Ireland on Friday evening.

Returning to the city for the first time since 2021, the popular night was venue-based this year with an enhanced focus on community involvement.

Wrestlers at Grand Central Station, fire and light performers in CS Lewis Square and craft makers in Londonderry are among those who entertained crowds.

• In Pictures: Culture Night in full swing across NI

Ash Ashton says the return of Culture Night is "vital"

Aerial artist Ash Ashton was to be suspended from a rope on the side of The Black Box in Cathedral Quarter and the famous Duel of Belfast mural on the building will become their stage.

Their piece draws inspiration from the hospitality workers in the area and seeks to highlight the issues women and people from the LGBTQ+ community face.

Speaking to BBC News NI ahead of the event, Ashton said the return of Culture Night is "vital" as artists have faced many challenges over the last few years due to the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

They hoped the event will show that the arts can "bring community together" and provide a "space to talk about our troubles".

Craic defenders

Elaine Taylor helped organise craft "craic defenders" workshops across Belfast

Events took place across the four corners of Belfast, including a series of craft workshops which encouraged people to fire up their creativity and imagination to make "craic defence tools" of a wand, cape, mask and shield.

After crafting tools with sustainable materials, participants were tasked to find other "craic defenders" with the aim of collating a group which has all the items to form the "ultimate craic defence force league".

Elaine Taylor, company director of Anann's Arch, who organised the workshops, said it is "brilliant" that the night has expanded beyond the city centre as it reflects that the event and the arts are "open to everybody".

"Hopefully things like this will break down that social barrier, almost like a class barrier, of thinking some things aren't for you," she said.

Quire will be performing a mix of pop, folk, traditional and classical music across three venues in Belfast

Culture Night promised a host of musical talent on the night including Quire, Northern Ireland's only LGBTQ+ singing group, who were performing across Belfast venues.

Quire vice-chair Terry McGrath said the "great thing" about events like Culture Night is that is showcases acts that people may not normally see.

He hopes the event will become a permanent fixture in the cultural calendar again as he feels it will bring a "much needed boost" to Belfast's nightlife.

Among the other acts which offering something new to attendees was Elaine McGinn, a performance artist who will explored the subject of family estrangement through movement.

Her piece is connected with arts organisations Bbeyond and University of Atypical, who support the work of d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists, and she hoped it would provoke viewers to pause and take a moment for themselves amidst the "frenetic world".

The public will have the chance to try their hand at some of the crafts at Rathmullan Makers Market

Culture Nights took place across the island of Ireland, with events planned in Dublin, Derry, Newry, Strabane and Enniskillen.

Rathmullan Makers Market took a road trip from Donegal to Derry to host a cross-border art and craft exhibition, and the public had the chance to try their hand at some of the crafts.

Claire Heaney-McKee, who organised the exhibition for the the Connecting Communities project, has welcomed Derry's creativity being spotlighted.

"I think Derry is such a vibrant city and there's so much talent here that this should be happening more often," she said.

Belfast Night Czar Michael Stewart hopes to ensure Culture Night's return next year

Culture Night in Belfast was launched in 2009 and continued to grow in scale, with the 2019 event attracting over 100,000 people.

In 2019, the budget was more than £328,000, according to notes from the Belfast City Growth and Regeneration Committee.

The event was suspended in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and briefly returned in 2021 on a smaller scale.

Belfast City Council has committed £150,000 for the delivery of the returning festival this year, but Stormont departments said in August that there was no spare money to provide additional funding.

Belfast Night Czar Michael Stewart said culture is the "magic dust" of the city and hopes to ensure Culture Night's return next year with further financial support from Stormont.