THE Tall Ships are set to drop anchor in Belfast next week with organisers predicting that up to one million people will come out to see them.
Belfast is the home port for the first leg of the 2015 Tall Ships race with around 50 vessels from across the world set to be berthed in the city.
It will be the third time that the event, which runs from July 2 to 5, will be welcomed into the city having previously visited in 1991 and 2009.
Organisers said they "anticipate that 500,000 will attend the festival over the four-day period with another 500,000 watching the arrival and departure of the vessels from various locations across the shoreline".
The ships will be berthed in and around Belfast Harbour and the Titanic Quarter area, with an economic windfall of at least £10 million predicted.
The overall cost of the event is £2.3 million, with Belfast City Council making a £1.3 million contribution, £400,000 from Tourism NI, £100,000 from the Department of Social Development as well as private sector sponsorship.
The Belfast Titanic Maritime Festival will also take place, covering a vast geographic area of approximately 1.5km x 1.5km.
As well as the ships, there will be entertainment, funfairs, street theatre, interactive activities, food markets, fireworks display and a fly past by the Royal Arrows during the magnificent Parade of Ships as they leave en masse for the first leg of this year's race on July 5.
Belfast lord mayor Arder Carson said it was no surprise that event had returned to the city following the success in 2009.
"This year's Tall Ships event is set to be the largest public event ever held in our city...the footprint of the festival is the biggest, the number of ships attending is the highest and we fully expect record attendances, even outdoing the incredible achievements of 2009," he said.
For further information, please visit www.tallshipsbelfast.com
:: How To Get There
Visitors are encouraged to use bus, train and park and ride services to avoid traffic congestion. A free shuttle bus will help ferry visitors from Wellington Place in the city centre to Pollock Dock and another between there and Queen’s Quay.
There will be park and ride facilities at Sprucefield, Cairnshill, Dundonald and a new site at Ballymartin, just off the M2 at the junction for the International Airport.
Bus services from Belfast city council park and ride sites at Holywood Exchange travelling to Queen’s Quay and from Boucher Road Playing Fields to Pollock Dock will also be in place.
For further information, please visit www.translink.co.uk/tallships/
