From 2 to 5 July 2015 Belfast hosted The Tall Ships Races 2015 welcomed by the Lidl Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival event. Belfast previously hosted The Tall Ships Races in 1991 and 2009. The 2015 event was spread across an impressive 1 mile square site. Access to the festival was free and highlights included a hot air balloon display and spectacular fireworks on the 4 July. It finished with a P
arade of Tall Ships from Belfast to Whitehead on 5 July preceded by a Red Arrows fly past and full display in Carrickfergus. We welcomed 46 visiting vessels (including 16 Class A ships) and over 800 international crew from 17 countries. Over 520,000 people attended the festival across the four days with another 130,000 watching the Tall Ships Parade from the shorelines. The event generated an estimated £17 million for the local economy. Belfast Tall Ships 2015 Ltd was set up to manage the event, with funding from Belfast City Council, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Belfast Harbour and the Department of Social Development. The host port sponsor was Lidl NI.
