Queen’s University have announced that the Belfast Festival will go ahead at least for this year, but much more is needed from all key partners if Northern Ireland’s ‘Flagship’ Festival is to be sustained long term.

Pro-Vice Chancellor at Queen’s, Professor McCormac, said: “We welcome the recent announcement by Government of a one-off grant of £150,000 to Belfast Festival.

“In the light of this support, Queen’s is committed to providing a Festival for this year.”

He continued: “Although this money falls short of the £500,000 needed, this year’s event will contain many excellent performances; but the limited finances available will reflect the scale of what we will be able to deliver.”

Festival Director Graham Farrell said that although the festival had become a commercial success, it still ran at a deficit.

Mr Farrell also revealed that the Arts Council and Belfast were in the process of fixing their budgets for 2008 and 2010, which would give the organisers a “window” for talks.

He said: “We’ve been round all the houses and nobody wanted the festival to close.

“Everybody wanted to do their bit, but their hands were tied, which was why it was a minister or bust scenario.

“The minister has come in with a one-year reprieve for us but we have to work to ensure that that sort of investment and more is deliverable over the next three years.”

Professor McCormac thanked the Belfast Telegraph for their supporting campaign and the Northern Ireland public who came forward in their thousands to support Festival.

This year's line-up for the Festival will be announced later in the year.

(JM/SP)