Little Amal to Join Lord Mayor’s Day Celebrations

Little Amal will be a special guest at a free family fun day on the lawns of City Hall on Saturday 18th May, hosted by Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Ryan Murphy.

The giant puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl – the centrepiece of internationally acclaimed creative project ‘The Walk’ – is visiting Belfast from Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th May for four days of free family events as part of Belfast City Council’s Belfast 2024 programme.

After being crowned the ‘May Queen’ at Writer’s Square, Little Amal will lead a colourful parade of wildlife, nature and flowers along Donegall, Bridge and High Streets, into Donegall Place and towards City Hall, starting at 12.30pm.

Visitors to City Hall grounds can enjoy an afternoon of free family entertainment, from 12pm to 5pm, celebrating the city’s growing diversity.

Little Amal will feature in ‘Gulliver’s Egg-traordinary Tale’, a unique piece of free street theatre, created by Christina Nelson, which puts a new spin on Gulliver’s Travels and features magic, circus and music.

Families can also enjoy nature-inspired arts and crafts, henna tattoos, face painting and traditional games, and there will be live music and dance from Belfast Ukulele Jam and the South Asian Dance Academy, mummers The Wren Boys and African band Magwere. Also on offer are circus acts, walkabout performers and games and activities for older visitors as part of the council’s Age-Friendly Belfast programme.

Looking ahead to the day of events, Councillor Ryan Murphy, said: “During my year in office, I’ve been able to see first-hand how much Belfast is growing and changing and, as a mayor for all, I’ve been welcomed into every corner of our city.

“This is my chance now to give back and reflect back upon, as well as showcasing, the amazing talent, diversity and vibrancy our city has to offer and which I’ve been privileged to experience this year.

“I’m really excited to host Little Amal at City Hall as part of our celebrations – it’s going to be a packed afternoon of free and fun activities and everyone is welcome to come along and join in.”

Entry to the Lord Mayor’s Day event is free, with activities running from 12pm until 5pm. Capacity may be limited at times due to numbers within City Hall grounds.

For more details, visit: www.belfastcity.org.uk/lordmayorsday.