Enjoy a free family day out in Belfast as part of the largest children’s festival in the UK and Ireland

Funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland through National Lottery funding, the festival programme is filled with incredible performances, events and creative experiences from local and international artists, for everyone to enjoy, including a range of inclusive shows specially created for those with additional needs.

Here are a few of our top picks:

Festival Family Day Out

Enjoy an exciting mix of pop-up performances, exciting workshops, lively walkabout characters, captivating storytelling, circus acts, comedy, music, and so much more.

Some of the highlights include: The Get Pumped workshop from 1-2pm in Ulster University’s Birley Building-think lycra and 90s Mr Motivator vibes; Drop in St Anne’s Square is a Catalan street theatre and clowning mashup to surprise and delight; Jazzlife Jam from 2.45-4.45pm in the Crush Bar at the MAC will showcase incredible young musicians and jazz stars of the future; Also fun, music and competitions from the U105 Roadshow from 1-3pm in St Anne’s Square.

Date: Sat 7 March, 1-5pm
Venue: Various venues in the Cathedral Quarter area
Suitable for: all ages
Tickets: FREE
Info: Festival Family Day Out - Young at Art

LOOP 

LOOP is a vibrant dance performance where three dancers create a shared world through movement, trust, and play. Audiences are invited into a space that transforms into a playground of imagination and connection. It celebrates teamwork, curiosity, and the joy of moving together. 

LOOP is choreographed by Mónica Muñoz and commissioned through Maiden Voyage Dance’s Dance Exposed strand, which creates new dance works for public and non-traditional spaces. This champions accessibility and spontaneity, encouraging people of all ages to encounter dance in unexpected places and experience its energy up close. 

Date: Fri 6 March – Sun 8 March (times and locations below)
Duration: 20 mins
Venues: Grand Central Station - Fri 6 March, 10am & 11.45am, Sat 7 March 11am, 1pm
Ulster Museum - Sun 8 March, 11am & 3pm
Artist: Maiden Voyage Dance
Suitable for: all ages
Tickets: FREE
Info: LOOP - Young at Art

Doughnut

Doughnut is a play for young audiences, inspired by the book Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth. This vibrant and imaginative production features three performers and invites families to explore bold, hopeful ideas about how we live, share resources, and care for the planet. Blending drama, music, original songs and audience interaction, the show is designed to be playful, engaging and accessible. It distils complex ideas into small, beautiful moments that spark curiosity, conversation, and action—planting seeds for long-term change.

Date: Sat 7 March 4pm & 6pm, Sun 8 March 2pm & 4pm
Duration: 50 min
Venue: Brian Friel Theatre, QFT
Artist: Stephen Beggs
Suitable for: age 6+
Tickets: £12
Info & booking: Doughnut - Young at Art

Aesops Fables

Ulster Touring Opera invites families to step into a world of wit, wonder and imagination with Aesop’s Fables — three brand-new mini-operas inspired by the timeless tales of the ancient storyteller. Specially created for young audiences, this sparkling production combines playful music, colourful characters and universal morals in a joyful introduction to opera for all ages.

Date: Sat 7 March 2.30pm & 4pm
Duration: 35 min
Venue: Clonard Monastery
Artist: Ulster Touring Opera
Suitable for: age 5+
Tickets: £6
Info & booking: Aesop's Fables - Young at Art

In Stasis

IN STASIS gives audiences a window into a world that changes and evolves in front their eyes, where aerial rigging and audio-visual equipment illuminate and transform the space with dynamic performance. IN STASIS will incorporate the perspectives of local young people through spoken word, relating to their experiences of sound, noise and music and their interactions with public spaces.

Date: Fri 6 March 7pm, Sat 7 March 4pm & 7pm
Duration: 45 min
Venue: Circusful
Artist: Emmen Jude Donnelly, Marty Byrne
Suitable for: age 7+
Tickets: £12
Info & booking: IN STASIS - Young at Art

View the full festival programme and book tickets here www.youngatart.co.uk