Your Invitation to RE[act]

The RE[act] Festival was originally conceived in 2019, after Linen Quarter BID invited the environmentalist Jonathan Porritt to Belfast. It was a really engaging day, which included a professional roundtable at Queen’s University and a public event attended by over 500 people. We wanted to sustain the conversation, create a platform for debate, and help share best practice, and so RE[act] was born.

From the outset we did not want to fall into the fatalism, or divisive politics, that some of the climate debate had descended into. While still recognising the urgency of the challenge, we wanted to inspire practical measures for change. We also wanted to highlight that everyone had a role to play, with a focus on three distinct levels – government, organisations, and individuals.

RE[act] 2021, aligned with COP26 in Glasgow, connected almost 1,000 people to 22 different events, covering themes like fashion, food, urban ecology, sustainable cities, and the circular economy.

In 2024 we focused on three key themes, People, Place, and Planet, with 40 events and 1,500 attendees. Highlights included two events featuring Joe Kennedy, the US special envoy to NI, who conveyed his powerful personal interest in sustainability, and a keynote address from the DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA. Other events included using AI for good, nature walks, climate cafes, a panel of young leaders inspiring change, as well as a powerful collaborative workshop, our city, our story, our responsibility.

Our next planned event was 2026, but such was the enthusiasm for the concept that we decided to create a mini-RE[act] this November. Although a streamlined programme of just six events, each one packs a powerful punch, including RE[connect] 30 under 30 sustainable leaders and RE[sonate] 10 women leaders telling their personal stories of climate action.

The festival is curated by Linen Quarter BID, but our role is only to create the platform. It is the participants who create the debate, the story, and the challenge to RE[act] for a more sustainable Belfast. Please join us as we consider these critical issues and inspire the action we need to take.

Advance booking to all RE[act] Festival events is advised. To book and to view the full programme of events visit www.reactfestival.co.uk.