Jedward will be the headline act for City Day – a free event planned for Sunday September 30 to mark the 10th anniversary of Newry’s city status. Last October the Dublin duo played to 17,000 fans at Pairc Esler as part of the city’s Halloween celebrations. However their encore performance will take place in a new venue – the newly created events space at Marcus Square Hill Street. The event will have a lower capacity compared to last year’s concert with ticketing details expected to be confirmed in the coming week. The Reporter understands that Council staff are currently investigating ways and means of maximising capacity for the space which was created during the recent £1.8m public realm scheme and early indications are that the capacity will be capped at 8-10,000 people. It is also believed that the local authority is in negotiations with another major chart star in respect of a further concert in Marcus Square in October for the city’s annual Halloween celebrations. The events are taking part as far as a six-figure funding package secured by the Council to promote the city centre following completion of the Hill Street/ Monaghan Street public realm scheme. The Jedward event also kick starts another ten-year anniversary in the city with children’s arts organisation Sticky Fingers celebrating a decade of theatre, music, visual arts and dance for the youth of the district. In addition to the groups month-long Children’s Festival in the city (October 1-31) Sticky Fingers will also unveil four new child inspired permanent sculptures on Hill Street (2), Monaghan Street (1) and the Belfast Road (1). Ten schools and over 500 children from across Newry and Mourne worked with sculptors (Mark Ryan, Maree Hensey, Betty Newman Maguire, Barry Linnane, and Alan Cargo to create the monuments which will honour local heroes, local’s stories, legend, folklore and a journey through Newry with the eyes of a child. Before these events Newry will hold its first Pride Festival (September 22-30) which will include crafts and entertainment inn the events space in Marcus Square (September 29) followed by the Pride in Newry Parade and a concert headlined by Brian Kennedy in McClelland Park. Among the other attractions taking place as part of the Pride Festival are a shop window performance at Cahill Brothers by local musician Mickey Doran, a big session in the Railway Bar, a sports lecture at the Newry Museum, a Zombie Parade in the Phoenix and a pre-parade party in Bellini’s.
Newry Reporter
5th September 2012
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