A spectacular illuminated Tall Ships display known as Sails of Solace is set to become one of the standout attractions at next week's Foyle Maritime Festival in Derry.
Running from 25 to 27 June between 10 pm and 3 am, the late-night installation will transform the River Foyle waterfront into a riverscape of light, reflection and maritime heritage.
Created by Visual Spectrum, the display will illuminate visiting Tall Ships moored along the South Pontoon, North Pontoon and The Dock. Organisers say the installation is inspired by the days when Derry's docks were home to a busy fleet of working vessels.
Festival Finale — Fireworks burst over the River Foyle and Derry's skyline during a previous Foyle Maritime Festival, with this year's celebrations concluding on Sunday night after the NI Rock Choir's Dusk Chorus performance. Photo: Foyle Maritime Festival
The display will feature glowing masts and beams stretching into the night sky, while special installations by Wonderlights will bring a family of seals, the ghost of Dopey Dick and golden sails to life after dark.
Visitors are invited to experience the waterfront outside normal festival hours as illuminated ships, and their reflections create what organisers describe as a temporary artwork that disappears with dawn each morning. The light installation forms part of the wider Foyle Maritime Festival programme, which runs from Thursday 25 June to Sunday 28 June.
The four-day event will bring Tall Ships, maritime heritage exhibitions, live music, markets, street entertainment and family attractions to the city's waterfront.
Waterfront Sounds — Free live music returns to the Festival Village as Rockshore Sounds brings performers and entertainment to the heart of the Foyle Maritime Festival from noon until 11pm daily. Photo: Foyle Maritime Festival
Visitors can enjoy food and drink at the LegenDerry Food Village and Watts Warehouse Festival Bar, browse the Merchant and Maritime Markets, and take in the atmosphere of the vintage funfair, including the Amelia Earhart Big Wheel.
Free live performances will feature throughout the festival as part of Rockshore Sounds, with music and entertainment running daily until 11 pm.
The festival concludes on Sunday night with the NI Rock Choir's Dusk Chorus performance, followed by a fireworks display over the River Foyle at 11pm.
