Open House Festival

An #ANDSustainableGiants-Green Tourism Network member

Open House is a small independent arts charity based in Bangor and run by local people, whose aim is to transform people and places through music and arts events. We run an annual arts festival each summer in Bangor, showcasing local creative talent alongside international artists. In 2022, following a seven year campaign, we opened our own independent venue in the former Court House on Bangor seafront. Open House acquired the building via Northern Ireland’s first Community Asset Transfer, and transformed it with support from a range of funders and donations from local people. It won the 2023 National Lottery Project of the Year award and the NI Heritage Angels public vote award.

What makes us sustainable...

We promote an ethos of reuse and recycle through a programme of vintage inspired events and activities;
We repurposed a derelict heritage building to create a new music and arts venue;
We continually work to reduce the environmental impact of our festival events, including actively promoting taking litter home and recycling it;
We promote car-free travel through initiatives such as ‘train friendly’ events and an active partnership with Translink.

"We’re excited to be part of this network of businesses and people who are just as passionate about our local area as we are. We love working creatively with local partners to promote our city and borough to cultural visitors, but we’re committed to preserving all that is valuable - the heritage, the environment and the local communities who make it such a special place."