The festival that brings a castle to your garden

The Dalriada Festival, which usually attracts in excess of 30,000 people to the castle’s extensive grounds overlooking the sea on the famous Causeway Coastal Route, has been re-branded HOMEFEST Camp Dalfest at Home for 2020.

Capturing the creativity, ingenuity and giant spirit of the people of Northern Ireland, the event will take place virtually on 18 July, and organisers are urging festival-goers to set up camp sites in their gardens to bring a little bit of Glenarm Castle into their homes.

The festival at home experience can be enhanced with a range of merchandise and party packs featuring quality Northern Irish produce that can be ordered on the festival website and delivered in advance.

They include breakfast, drinks, treats and pizza kits, plus a BBQ pack that includes the local award-winning Glenarm Shorthorn Beef, which graces menus in some of the finest restaurants in Europe.

Festival-lovers will also be able to hire luxurious glamping tents from official suppliers Yippee Tents, who will be able to set up a full weekend experience.

UK X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke, pop singer Nadine Coyle and country favourite Nathan Carter will be among the stars who will broadcast from Glenarm Castle during HOMEFEST.

Ensuring the soul of this hugely popular annual event is kept alive until its return next year, the festival’s digital entertainment will also include fun family shows, dancing, singing, challenges, cooking, competitions and more, all hosted by TV presenter Stephen Mulhern.

Glenarm Castle was originally built in 1636 and is currently the home of Lord and Lady Dunluce. Full of enchanting walks and featuring one of the oldest walled gardens in the country, the beautiful estate around the castle also contains a series of stylish ocean view pods that offer the perfect rural holiday.

The castle will form the backdrop to a fireworks finale for Camp Dalfest, which will go live on the morning of Saturday 18 July and run a full day of online entertainment, some pre-recorded and some live.

Festival fans can watch for free online with the option of buying a non-compulsory virtual festival ticket which will go towards the cost of the event, with those buying ticket entered into a series of competitions for top prizes.

Adapting to the new normal has brought out the innovation and ingenuity typical of the Northern Irish people. In the land built by a giant spirit, if you can't come to the festival, the festival will come to you. 

www.ireland.com