The Big Weekend of Arts 

Belfast International Arts Festival kicked off this week and runs until 3 November in various locations across Belfast.

Watch: Official Belfast International Arts Festival 2018 trailer 

With 12 Premieres, performers from 12 different countries and over 120 events happening from 16 Oct – 3 November what will you choose to go and see at this year’s Belfast International Arts Festival?

Belfast International Arts Festival 2018: Over 120 events unveiled 

The Belfast International Arts Festival has launched a spectacular programme of over 120 events from home and abroad, including 12 premieres, running from the October 16 - November 3, at the city’s newest iconic hotel, the Grand Central.

International Arts Festival: Hollywood royalty Isabella Rossellini set for Belfast stage 

Belfast International Arts Festival will be welcoming Italian actress Isabella Rossellini to the Grand Opera House later this year.

Belfast International Arts Festival brings iconic African and American musicians to the city 

Belfast International Arts Festival has announced its first two headline acts for 2018 - Africa’s "premier diva" Angélique Kidjo and US folk and blues legend Eric Bibb.

Belfast International Arts Festival: Impact of borders to feature in first confirmed event for 2018 

Belfast International Arts Festival has announced the provisional dates for the 56th edition are Tuesday 16 October to Saturday 3 November 2018 inclusive.

Dance work Hard To Be Soft takes a long hard look at Belfast life 

Award-winning choreographer and dancer Oona Doherty will unveil her slant on Belfast life in a new four-part production.

Watch: Iconic poppy sculpture Weeping Window at Belfast's Ulster Museum 

The iconic poppy sculpture Weeping Window will open at the Ulster Museum in Belfast on Saturday.

Watch: Words come alive in Belfast's first Poetry Jukebox 

A new initiative which brings new poetry to the streets of Belfast has been launched.

What's on: 7 things to do in Northern Ireland October 9-15 

With the Belfast International Arts Festival in full swing there's plenty going on this week, as well as comedy, music, and a bit of fashion to keep us entertained.

Final countdown begins for 2017 Belfast International Arts Festival 

The countdown begins for the opening night of the 2017 Belfast International Arts Festival, with only five days to go until the first performance.

Belfast International Arts Festival launched in New York 

Belfast International Arts Festival 2017 was launched in New York this week.

Belfast International Arts Festival to host musical double bill 

The Grand Opera House will play host to two musical acts as part of one evening for the Belfast International Arts Festival next month.

Belfast's first Poetry Jukebox to be launched next month 

An initiative to bring new poetry to Northern Ireland will launch next month as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival.

Watch: Almost 200 events on offer at the 2017 Belfast International Arts Festival 

The 2017 Belfast International Arts Festival will host 191 events over 23 days, as the huge event returns to the city from October 6-28.

Belfast International Arts Festival: How to become a volunteer 

Belfast International Arts festival will once again be keeping audiences on the edge of their seats as a variety of world class artists come to Belfast from the 6th to 28th October 2017.

'Spectacular' Belfast International Arts Festival promised 

Belfast International Arts Festival is giving audiences an opportunity to book early for three performances included in this year's programme.

Belfast International Arts Festival needs volunteer 'poppy ambassadors' 

Volunteer poppy ambassadors are needed for a special event which is part of the Belfast International Arts Festival later this year.

David Bowie’s last band performing at the Belfast International Arts Festival 

The last band to perform with David Bowie before he died are set to perform as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival later this year.

Belfast Telegraph award for retiring Arts Council chair Bob Collins 

The retiring chair of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland has been recognised for his "significant" contribution to the sector here.

Belfast Festival headline act Taylor Mac arrives in town 

This year’s headliner for the Belfast Festival ,Taylor Mac, is now in town.

Micro-Shakespeare at Belfast City Hall [Photos] 

Families braved torrential downpours for a dose of Micro-Shakespeare inside Belfast City Hall as part of the 2016 Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival on Saturday October 15.

Belfast Telegraph Audience Awards at Belfast Festival 2016 - cast your votes 

The 2016 Programme for the Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival brings a world-class line-up of artists to the city to inspire, provoke and stimulate.

Meet the women who learned to fight for equal rights at their determined mothers' knees 

Ahead of the Belfast Festival which begins on Tuesday, Grania McFadden talks to female artists, campaigners and a Northern Ireland politician about inspirational women and why the abortion law here needs to change.

Ulster Museum to host dramatic ‘Weeping Window’ poppy sculpture 

A dramatic poppy sculpture, which was part of First World War centenary commemorations at the Tower of London, is to be hosted at the Ulster Museum.

Video: Belfast International Festival - Lord Mayor Brian Kingston dives in for festival family show 

Yes – it’s the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Brian Kingston!

Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival launch 2016 [Photos] 

This year’s Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival will kick off on October11.

Belfast festival headliner Taylor Mac: I'm not coming to tell people Irish history - there is plenty of oppression and rebellion where I live 

Award-winning performance artist Taylor Mac promises to make his debut here in October a memorable one, but then again that is his stock in trade.

Belfast International Arts festival pays tribute to the Bard 

Shakespeare will take centre stage at this year's Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival - but the performances of the Bard's work will be like no other.

Review: The Kitchen was experimental theatre at its tastiest 

On the menu at the Belfast Festival last night was a live cookery show that made a meal of any Bake Off or Kitchen Nightmare.

Chivalry Is Dead: Heavy metal show ends with a bang 

There were two ways to take last night's performance of Chivalry Is Dead at the Mac, part of the rebranded Belfast International Arts Festival.

Belfast Telegraph Audience Awards at Belfast Festival - cast your votes 

The 2015 Programme for the inaugural Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival is boasts a world-class line-up of artists to the city to inspire, provoke and stimulate - and once again we are sking our readers to vote for the Belfast Telegraph Audience Awards

Video: One-armed pianist helps to launch Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival in stunning style 

Amazing one-armed concert pianist Nicholas McCarthy stole the show at the official launch of the Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival.

Video: One-handed pianist Nicholas McCarthy to play Belfast International Arts Festival 

Nicholas McCarthy, an award-winning pianist who was born without his right hand, performing at the launch of the 2015 Belfast international Arts Festival Credit: ASG/Facebook

Belfast International Arts Festival promises feast for Ulster's culture vultures 

The exciting 2015 Programme for the inaugural Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival is set to bring a world-class line-up of artists to the city to inspire, provoke and stimulate - and your Belfast Telegraph will be right at the heart of it.

Queen's University withdraws funding for Belfast Festival blaming cuts to public purse 

Queens University Belfast is to withdraw its annual funding for the Belfast Festival.

Pianist Barry Douglas adds his weight to 'save Ulster Orchestra' campaign 

A world-renowned classical pianist from Belfast has added his voice to the growing calls to save the Ulster Orchestra, which is on the brink of closure.

Belfast Festival at Queen's organisers confident of event's future despite Ulster Bank cutting funding 

Organisers of the Belfast Festival at Queen's hope to secure the event after its biggest sponsor substantially slashed its funding.

Rich harvest of drama as Lyric launches autumn season brochure 

The autumn season at the Lyric Theatre kicks off this week with a mad maelstrom of music, drink and mayhem in the celebrated Irish classic, The Playboy of the Western World by J.M Synge.

Michael Palin's world... travelling man, film star and comedy legend 

When it comes to television personalities, there is someone suited for every occasion, it seems. But few fall into a class of their own quite like Michael Palin.

Fringe Festival for ‘hard times’ is about to hit Belfast. 

The Belfast Fringe Festival 2010, starting on Friday, will run alongside the main Ulster Bank Festival for the first time in several years.