Natural landmarks · Northern Ireland
Festival of Fools
In or near Belfast.
Festival of Fools in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Albert Bridge — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- York Street · 1.0 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
About
Festival of Fools is a place of interest in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2025
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official information
The Festival of Fools is a vibrant celebration of circus and outdoor performances held in Belfast City Centre. Over three days, visitors can enjoy a variety of free shows featuring local and international acts, creating a festive atmosphere filled with laughter and community spirit.
From the Wikipedia article
The Festival of Fools is an annual Street Festival held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, usually during the May Bank Holiday weekend. It first started in 2004 and includes performances from around the world. Performers are paid a fixed amount and money collected from audiences at the end of each show is used to fund the next years show. Previous to that, the annual International Festival of Fools, created by the Friends Roadshow went on from 1975 to 1984 in Amsterdam. It was a "comedy convention of the Nouveau Clowns". The London Critics Group held an annual show called the Festival of Fools. Running over Christmas they satirised events of the previous year whilst including folklore and customs of each month. They were written by Ewan MacColl, staged in the back room of a North London pub, The New Merlin's Cave, and ran for five years in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 54.6020, -5.9262
- District
- Belfast
- Postcode
- BT1 2LA
- Parliamentary constituency
- Belfast North
- Established
- 2004
- Nearest railway station
- York Street — 1 km
- Opening
- 2nd-4th May 2026
- Official site
- www.foolsfestival.com
Sources
- wikidata: Q5445782 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Festival of Fools (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Belfast Community Circus School
Natural landmarks · 0.0 km
Oh Yeah Centre
Theatres · 0.0 km
Paddy McCann
Public art & sculpture · 0.0 km
The Duel of Belfast, Dance by Candlelight
Public art & sculpture · 0.1 km
The Black Box
Theatres · 0.1 km
The Muddlers Club
Natural landmarks · 0.1 km
Merchant Hotel
Natural landmarks · 0.1 km
Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum
Museums · 0.1 km
James Larkin
Public art & sculpture · 0.1 km
Northern Ireland War Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Transport House
Historic houses · 0.1 km
Royal Ulster Rifles Museum
Museums · 0.1 km
Nearby
📷 3Natural landmarks · Northern Ireland
Belfast Community Circus School
Belfast Community Circus School in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
📷 3Theatres · Northern Ireland
Oh Yeah Centre
Oh Yeah Centre is a theatre in the United Kingdom.
📷 4Public art & sculpture · Northern Ireland
Paddy McCann
Paddy McCann — a public art in northern-ireland, United Kingdom.
📷 3Public art & sculpture · Northern Ireland
The Duel of Belfast, Dance by Candlelight
The Duel of Belfast, Dance by Candlelight — a public art in northern-ireland, United Kingdom.
📷 3Theatres · Northern Ireland
The Black Box
The Black Box is a theatre in the United Kingdom.
Flagship📷 4Natural landmarks · Northern Ireland
The Muddlers Club
The Muddlers Club in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Festival of Fools
Places to stay
%20-%20geograph.org.uk%20-%201577800.jpg?width=1200)
📷 3
📷 7Hotels · Northern Ireland
DoubleTree by Hilton Belfast City Ten Square
DoubleTree by Hilton Belfast City Ten Square — a hotel in northern ireland. Brand: DoubleTree.
.JPG?width=1200)
📷 5
📷 5Hostels · Northern Ireland
Belfast International Youth Hostel
Belfast International Youth Hostel — a hostel in northern ireland.
📷 5Hostels · Northern Ireland
Vagabonds Belfast Hostel
Vagabonds Belfast Hostel — a hostel in northern ireland.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5
📷 5
📷 7Historic pubs · Northern Ireland
Kelly's Cellars
Kelly's Cellars in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
📷 7Historic pubs · Northern Ireland
Crown Liquor Saloon
Crown Liquor Saloon in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
📷 3Historic pubs · Northern Ireland
Red Lion Pub bombing
Red Lion Pub bombing in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
📷 5More natural landmarks in this region
Flagship📷 4Natural landmarks · Northern Ireland
Lough Erne
Lough Erne — lake in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, UK.
Flagship📷 4Natural landmarks · Northern Ireland
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh — large lake in Northern Ireland.
📷 3Natural landmarks · Northern Ireland
Ballysaggart Lough
Ballysaggart Lough — lake in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Natural landmarks · Northern Ireland
Belmore Mountain
Belmore Mountain — mountain in the United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Festival of Fools?
- Festival of Fools is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (postcode BT1 2LA).
- What is Festival of Fools?
- Festival of Fools in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Festival of Fools?
- The nearest railway station is York Street, about 1.0 km away. Drivers can use postcode BT1 2LA.
- When was Festival of Fools built?
- Built or established in 2004.
- Is Festival of Fools free to visit?
- Yes, Festival of Fools is free to enter.
- How do I get to Festival of Fools?
- The nearest railway station is York Street, about 1.0 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BT1 2LA.