With the festival being held since 1922 it has played its part in the development of the arts over the past 100 years and has established Portadown as a centre of excellence in the Arts world throughout the UK.
Acknowledged as being one of the largest competitive Festivals in the country it attracts performers from many parts of the province, Ballymoney, Bangor, Holywood and Ballymena as well as Drama Groups from the south of Ireland. This has impacted on the local economy with the use of Hotels / Bed and Breakfast venues and local shops and restaurants and it raises the profile of Portadown and the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area. As many Drama Festivals are declining in nights Portadown Drama Festival is usually oversubscribed for our 10 Drama nights with entries from North and South of Ireland which demonstrates its popularity. With regard to the Irish Folk Dancing Festival, it showcases the cultural significance of the area locally with many of the performers / schools of dance attending.
Portadown Festival has been instrumental in developing and supporting many of the young performers achieve their ambitions with very successful careers in their specialized fields. Many of our current Speech and Drama / Irish Dancing teachers have progressed through the festival and now operate their own schools, e.g. Shelley Lowry School of Speech and Drama, Pamela Cassells School of Performance, Kildara School of Irish Dance, and many more. These individuals are now investing in the local community and impacting on the economy of the town. This has resulted in extremely positive PR for the borough and Northern Ireland and is acknowledged in press articles. The Lord Mayor also supports the work of the festival by attending many of the opening and closing events during the Festival season.