Derry Feis named as Best Cultural Festival for Irish Arts 2025

Feis Dhoire Cholmcille has been named as the leading festival for Irish arts in 2025.

The award from SME Northern Ireland Enterprise recognises the contribution made by both individuals and organisations making a significant contribution to society in the north by improving standards in a wide variety of sectors including small to medium business enterprises.

Ursula Clifford, Chair of Feis Dhoire Cholmcille said: “I am delighted that the feis has been recognised as the winner in the Irish arts festival category. It is a tribute to the work done by the committee and all the volunteer workers that give up their free time year after year. 

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“Derry Feis happens mainly during each Easter week but, the organisational work takes place on an almost year-round basis. That work ensures that we can take stock on an ongoing basis and work towards improving the experience for all our competitors and the audience. For example, our singing competition concentrating on the work of Irish composers in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries introduced last year has already attracted a dozen topflight singers from academies and counties across Ireland. 

“In the last three years our competitor numbers have tipped 4,000. Those are numbers consistent with some of our best years in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and we are already confident that that figure will be surpassed this year”.

In operation since 1922, Feis Dhoire Cholmcille annually offers over 250 separate competitions across seven disciplines which are singing, Irish language, history, traditional Irish music, classical music, Irish dancing and speech and drama. 

This year’s feis Choral Competitions will take place on Holy Tuesday (31 March) at Ardnashee School and College, while the remainder of the competitions will run from Tuesday 7 April to Friday 10 April at both St Columb’s Hall and The Playhouse, Artillery Street. 

Secretary of Derry Feis, Aisling Bonner added: “Derry Feis operates as a registered charity and is a not-for-profit organisation so it’s great to have equal recognition amongst business organisations who rely upon innovation to keep to the forefront of their professions. 

“In the last few years, the feis has concentrated heavily on the use of social media for both promotion and communication with teachers and competitors. The responses from feis goers, teachers and competitors across all the disciplines have been phenomenal. It means that we are contactable all year round and able to interact directly with the people that matter to us”.

Feis Dhoire Cholmcille was not alone in being a locally based winner of SME Northern Irish Enterprise Award. Digital Derry was named Most Creative Web Design Firm for 2025, while Desmond Motors was rewarded for being the Best New and Pre-Owned Car Dealership.

Commenting on the winners, Awards Coordinator Kaven Cooper said: “I’m delighted to have worked with such trailblazing teams; it’s always a pleasure to highlight the innovation and dedication of such award-worthy enterprises”.