Foyle Maritime Festival returns

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Maoliosa McHugh pictured at the Foyle Maritime launch. Included with him are Seb Hall, First Mate and Grace Metcalfe, Skipper, Maybe, one of the tallships anchored portside at the weekend.

The date for next year’s internationally acclaimed festival event has now been confirmed as Saturday July 14 to Sunday July 22, 2018 – heralding a full week of music, markets, entertainment, and river based activities – not to mention the thrill of the race competition as the Clipper Race fleet returns to the city. The distinctive Clipper Race yachts will berth in Foyle Port Marina during the race stopover from New York before sailing to Race Finish in Liverpool.

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Maolíosa McHugh said it would be all hands on deck over the coming months to ensure another fantastic festival experience for the City and District.

“I am absolutely delighted to be able to confirm the dates of the Foyle Maritime Festival, which is probably our most popular visitor experience,” he declared. “We anticipate another highly successful event with tens of thousands of people coming along to enjoy our beautiful riverside, with activities and events for all the family.

“It’s very exciting to welcome the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race once again and their return is testament to the success of their stopover visits in previous years. I look forward to what will be a momentous month in the calendar for the city and region, which will also see the city’s staging of the Foyle Cup, as well as the hosting of the Irish Open at Ballyliffin. The North West will be the place to be next summer.”

To find out more about the event go to www.foylemaritimefestival.com or follow Foyle Maritime Festival on Facebook.