As the busy streets of Belfast hum with anticipation for the weekend’s festivities, an air of artistic energy and cultural vibrancy permeates the city, punctuated by the occasional liberty of a flying seagull overhead to remind you this is a historic port town.

“There’s a lot on,” says the cashier at Sawers, a specialty food shop that will sell you some smoked salmon or a bucket of mixed olives or a plate of boxty (a traditional Irish grated potato pancake). On your way to a talk by Bill Rolston at the Ulster Museum about his 40 years photographing political murals in Belfast, you’ll have a chance encounter with artist Lidia Cao atop a cherry picker. This Gen Z muralist offers a glimpse into the creative fervor igniting the city, and this time. Her solitary portraits of young women in contemplative states are lyrical; Cao’s work adds a touch of introspection to this urban landscape.

Meanwhile, French muralist Veks Van Hillik is hard at work, channeling the spirit of Irish mythology into his latest creation. Inspired by the legendary tale of the Salmon of Knowledge, Hillik’s mural depicts a nine-eyed fish, a symbol of wisdom and insight. “I grew up in a countryside not unlike the ones here – where we have a lot of landscapes like the one I placed here behind this Salmon of Knowledge,” he says while speaking of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France.  Drawing from the techniques of Flemish painters like Flanders and Jan van Eyck, Hillik’s brand-new masterpiece promises to transport viewers into an enchanting surreality.

Two blocks away, Mexican artist Sr. Papá Chango references those warm painting techniques as well. Still, his references are to the homey reproductions that are sometimes found in family homes – eventually given to a charity second-hand store. Since his painting is on the side of such a store that sells donated homewares and personal goods to benefit those in need, it’s a perfect way to render his golden vase, which accompanies one of his signature imagined creatures. The 4-leaf clover not only refers to good luck but to the tales told in Ireland for decades, or centuries perhaps.

As the city pulses with excitement, visitors are spoiled for choice with many events, attractions, and conversations. From the Moy Park Belfast City Marathon to the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival to the Festival of Fools, there’s no shortage of arts and entertainment. If you seek the thrill of live music that invites you to participate, the streets are also blessed with live musicians playing on wee stages in bars and pubs; everything from American country covers of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers to “Whisky in a Jar” and “Wild Rover” to Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”. Not that they compare to the floating euphoria of the periodic hen & stag parties on “party bikes” as they roll past you singing with unmatched enthusiasm, their voices bouncing off small winding brick streets. Notable songs sung at the top of lungs this afternoon were “Wonderwall” from Oasis, and a screaming rendition of “Back to December” from, yes, Taylor Swift.

But perhaps the true highlight of the weekend lies in the celebrated tradition of street art, as “Hit the North” returns for its 12th installment. Spearheaded by the brilliant self-effacing cultural advocate and organizer Adam Turkington of SeedHead Arts, this small team of creatives and producers somehow host and direct over 60 local and international artists who have arrived to showcase their ideas and talents on the streets. And while the May Day March on Writer’s Square is raising consciousness about Palestinians in Gaza, we’ll save stories about that very public demonstration for, as they say, another day.

‘If you can see the mountains, it’s going to rain. If you can’t see the mountains, it’s already raining.’ – just one of the witty quips that people here say to face the soggy inclemency. It helps that all that rain has brought a spring that is deeply green and blossomed. On a foggy spritz of a day like today, the enthusiasm and stoic insistence on enjoying the public sphere is on proud display here in Belfast. Maybe we’re just suckers for emotive expression, but coupled with the occasional poem someone recites on a barstool or a park bench, these songs all make one feel nostalgic and yearning, even if you’re drinking a Guinness Open Gate Pure Brew.

Hit the North 2024

Thursday 2 May – Sunday 5 May 2024

Street Art — Seedhead Arts

The weeklong celebration will culminate in a ‘Block party’ on Sunday 5^th May where spectators can soak up the party atmosphere and enjoy entertainment, food trucks, and refreshments as they watch murals come to life. HTN 24 will welcome an impressive list of international street artists.

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