Seedhead Arts, with support from Hennessy NI, is getting ready to make a ‘splash’ as they reveal the date of Ireland’s biggest street art festival which will run from 20th – 30th April in Belfast.
To celebrate its 10th birthday, the ‘Hit The North’ (HTN) Street Art Festival will welcome its most impressive roster yet with the internationally renowned R.O.A. and Studio Giftig confirmed as headliners. Over 60 artists from across the UK, Ireland and Europe are due to take part with the full line-up and events programme due to be revealed over the coming weeks.
The ten-day celebration will culminate in a ‘paint jam’ on Kent Street, Belfast on Sunday 30th April where spectators can soak up the party atmosphere and enjoy entertainment, food trucks and refreshments as they watch murals come to life.
HTN was initially established a decade ago as part of rejuvenation efforts in the North Street area of Belfast. The festival’s influence and impact has grown significantly since then and it is credited for nurturing and developing Northern Ireland’s street art industry locally. In the last ten years, the festival has welcomed over 200 artists from all over the world, helping bring NI’s rich cultural heritage for mural art into the 21st century.
Hit the North with Hennessy 2023 Artist Line Up
R.O.A.
Shok-1
Studio Giftig
Voyder
Annatomix
Nean
Rocket01
Elléna Lourens
KMG
Nol
Ed Hicks
The Globel Brothers
Andy Council
Peachzz
Andrey Palval
Woskerski
Aches
Angry Dan
Danny Rumbl
Chelsea Frew
Friz
Asbestos
Rob Hilken
Shane O'Driscoll
David McMilian
Pens
FGB
ADW
Hixxy
Alana McDowell
Chroma Cameleons
Holly Pereira
Danni SImpson
JMK
Sufek West
KVLR
Zippy
Atmos
Emic
Leo Boyd
Glen Molloy
Noys
DMC
Verz
Sums
Rask
MWAK
Codo
Novice
All The Doodz
Ali-P
Myfanwynia
HMC
Remos
Cha Cha
Sam McAleese
Aoife Laverty
CYD Noble
Conor McClure
Graffic
Hit the North Fringe events
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Hit the North Exhibition Launch
This year to launch our Festival programme our friends at Vault Artist Studios have agreed to host an exhibition in their Canteen Gallery.
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Street Art/Food Walking Tours
We’ve finally got round to doing something we’ve been thinking about for a long time… our world famous street art tour with added street food and a few drinks along the way.
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Street Art Networking Event
East Belfast Enterprise would like to meet with upcoming and established street artists and talk about how best they can support them to become successful and independent street artists businesses.
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Real Sketchy
Real Sketchy is ten years old. So we thought we’d do something completely Sketchy for a Hit the North Special. Wait for it… it’s on a Friday!!
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‘We Speak Wall’ Screening
Directed by Edel McCormick and shot by Erin O’Rawe, this short film is a love letter to Belfast City and the Street Art on its walls.
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Pre Festival Party
Join us for drinks with the visiting artists and some old school breaks from DJ Nik Muska
HIT THE NORTH 2023 FRINGe EVENTS
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Hit the North Exhibition Launch & Auction
We’ve asked our participating artists this year to contribute a piece of unique one off art and guess what? One of them could be yours.
Thu 20th April 7 – 9pm
Free Entry
Trademarket -
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Street Art Pub Crawl
We’ve been thinking about doing this for a while so for this landmark year for Hit the North what better time to mash up our world famous street art tour with a pub crawl. Like something amazing made better.
Fri, 21 & Fri 28 April — 6 - 9pm
£30 pp
Starting at the Black Box, finishing at the Sunflower
Strictly Over 18s -
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Street Art Tour and Workshop
If you’ve ever felt the urge to pick up some cans and blast out a piece this is the tour for you. For Hit the North 2023 we’re running our regular street art tour except at the end you get to have a go yourself.
Sat 29 Apr — 5 – 7:30pm
£30 pp
Starting at the Black Box, finishing at the Sunflower -
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LAST CHANCE Street Art Walking Tour
It’s your last chance to see some of the work from Hit the North 2022 before the area gets a new lick of paint.
Sun, 22 April — 12 – 2pm
£10 pp
Starting at the red benches in Commercial Court, finishing at the Black Box -
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The Incrementals with Annatomix
A quarterly networking event from Seedhead Arts looking at the specifics of being an independent creative.
Thurs, 27 April — 7:30 – 9pm
Free Admission
Trademarket -
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‘TAKE YOUR SPACE’ SCREENING AND PANEL DISCUSSION t Item
A feature-length documentary on Mexican urban art and graffiti followed by a discussion with the film maker, Ellena Lourens (South Africa) and Andrey Palval (Ukraine)
Sat, 29 April — 2:30 – 5pm
£5
BEAN BAG CINEMA -
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REAL SKETCHY — HIT THE NORTH SPECIAL
Since November 2012 Seedhead Arts has been running and developing Real Sketchy, a open live sketching event taking place in a bar environment.
Friday 28 April — 8 – 11pm
Free Entry
Black Box -
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Patch/Works
The first of a new event for the Hewitt, launching as part of HTN23 and with Mount Palomar & Optmst headlining the opening night.
Sat, 29 April — 9pm – 1am
Free Admission
The John Hewitt -
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HTN TENTH BIRTHDAY BLOCK PARTY
This year’s event will feature 80 local and international artists, alongside David Holmes on the decks and there’ll be Urban Art Demos and generally just some very good times.
Sun, 30 April — 2 – 6pm
Free admission
Kent + Union Street -
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Pye Corner Audio
The tunes of Pye Corner Audio have soundtracked our preparation for this years festival so we were over the moon when our friends at CQAF asked us if we could include it in our programme.
Fri, 28 April — 8pm
£10
ULSTER SPORTS CLUB (DOWNSTAIRS) -
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Cloakroom Q / PiNKSLiPS / Vernon Jane
Stalwart of the Belfast Street Art Scene NRNM (Gerry Norman) is also a stalwart of the Belfast Music scene and we’re delighted to point you in the direction of his band Pink Slips as part of our festival programme.
Fri, 21 April — 8 – 11pm
£7
Oh Yeah Music Centre
