(Re)Connected by Water

While Belfast has a rich maritime history and a growing waterfront, the connection between city, water, and people long remained fragmented. The Belfast Maritime Festival had the potential to change that, but lacked a clear strategic direction to fully activate the relationship between the city and its waterfront. As a result, Group NAO, along with Urban Scale Interventions and Flint Culture, were invited to rethink the festival and develop its new 5-year strategy.

The work set out to reposition the festival from a standalone event into a platform for placemaking, storytelling, and long-term urban connection. Rather than focusing only on programming, the work explored how a maritime festival can function as a catalyst for reconnecting districts, linking the famous Titanic Quarter more strongly to the city, unlocking underused waterfront areas, and creating a stronger sense of identity tied to Belfast's maritime heritage. From this, a new direction emerged. The festival is reframed as part of a broader maritime narrative for Belfast, one that extends beyond a single weekend and into year-round activation. From a festival as an event, it becomes a festival as infrastructure - not just something that happens in the city, but something that helps shape how the city works, moves, and connects every day.