ALL DAYTIME SHOWS ARE FREE
About Us
Festival of Fools is a jam-packed weekend of circus performances, featuring breathtaking acrobatics, gut-busting comedy and jaw-dropping juggling.
The festival is the largest comedy, circus and outdoor arts festival on the island of Ireland, with over 70 performances taking place on the streets of Belfast City Centre and Cathedral Quarter.
All daytime shows are free to attend and apart from the shows in our Circusful building, no booking is required.
The festival is the brainchild of the late Belfast Community Circus School Director, Will Chamberlain, who believed passionately in the power of street theatre and laughter to bring people together regardless of background, religion or language. He established Festival of Fools in Cathedral Quarter in Belfast at a time when the area was a far cry from the bustling cultural centre it is today.
Nowadays the Festival is a firm fixture on Northern Ireland’s cultural calendar, bringing thousands of visitors to Cathedral Quarter and the city centre.
We are hugely grateful to our sponsors and funders, particularly Arts Council Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council.
Festival of Fools Management and Staff
Board of Trustees
Chair: Laura Kelly
Directors: Edward Adams | Julie Daly | Graham Erskine | Rob Lynas | Ciaran Traynor | Aidan Malone | Steven Patterson
Staff
Chief Executive: Jenna Hall
Head of Programmes: Flora Herberich
Festival Producer: Georgia Simpson
Circusful Performance: Kirsty McReynolds
Administration Officer: John Hastings
Northern Ireland Charity Number NI058177 | UK registered charity number XR98177
Our Sponsors and Funders
