The 151st Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) Balmoral Show, in partnership with principal sponsor, the Ulster Bank, takes place next week, running from Wednesday to Saturday, 15 to 18 May.

It is the largest event in the agricultural calendar in Northern Ireland (NI), and is again expected to attract over 100,000 visitors across the four days to the impressive 65ac Balmoral Park, situated within the wider 347ac Maze Long Kesh site outside Lisburn.

The RUAS remain the principal anchor tenant at the site, having first moved out of the King’s Hall complex in south Belfast in 2013.

There is also the usual mix of trade stands, totalling over 650 this year, while over 100 local food and drink companies, alongside 30 award-winning chefs, will be in place

Since then, visitor numbers to the show have been on the rise.

While organisers have widened the attractions at the show to encourage more city dwellers, the farming, food and equine industry remain at the core of the event. Over 3,500 animals are entered into the livestock classes this year across the cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and poultry sectors.

There is also the usual mix of trade stands, totalling over 650 this year, while over 100 local food and drink companies, alongside 30 award-winning chefs, will be in place within the NI food pavilion, showcasing the very best of local produce.

For families, there is the SPAR arena, and the children’s farm with animals provided by Ark Open Farm from Newtownards in Co Down

In the main arena, top international riders from home and abroad will compete in international show jumping competitions taking place from the Wednesday to Friday of show week.

For families, there is the SPAR arena, and the children’s farm with animals provided by Ark Open Farm from Newtownards in Co Down. The funfair is a popular attraction for young visitors.

In addition is the healthy horticulture area, various shearing and wool handling competitions in the Shearing Arena and a shopping village in the 5,100sqm Eikon Exhibition Centre. On Saturday, showgoers can enter the best dressed Balmoral style competition, with prizes for the most appropriately dressed country lady and gent.

Travelling to the show

For those travelling to the show by car, there are ample car parking spaces available at Balmoral Park. Use postcode BT27 5RL in your satnav, and follow the directional signs as you approach the site. The cost of car parking comes to £8 per car.

At busy times in the morning and evening, getting into the site can be slow given that access is via minor roads, and a proposal to provide more direct access to the M1 motorway remains on hold. The alternative is therefore to use public transport.

From Wednesday to Friday, selected morning train services from the north coast and northwest of NI will run through to Lisburn so passengers will not need to change trains in Belfast.

In addition to normal timetable services, a return rail service will also operate on Wednesday to Friday from Lisburn at 6.33pm, stopping at Antrim, Ballymena, Cullybackey, Ballymoney and Coleraine. For southern Irish visitors, the following Enterprise trains will also be stopping at Lisburn over the four show days:

  • Dublin: Belfast: 7.35am, 9.30am, 11.20am and 1.20pm.
  • Lisburn: Dublin: 2.16pm, 4.16pm, 6.16pm and 8.16pm.
  • Shuttle

    The free Translink shuttle bus service from Lisburn train station will be in operation. It runs from 9am to 6.20pm on Wednesday and Saturday, and to 8.20pm on Thursday and 7.20pm on Friday. Passengers are advised to allow a transfer time of between 30 and 45 minutes to return from the show back to Lisburn for onward train and bus connections.

    Special coach-day tours are available to purchase online and from selected Ulsterbus stations offering a return journey to Balmoral Park and Show admission for £34.50 (adult), £27.50 (seniors over 65), £19.50 (youths between 12 and 17), £12.50 (children from five to 11) and £10.50 for under-fives.

  • Wednesday: 9.30am to 6pm.
  • Thursday: 9.30am to 8pm.
  • Friday: 9.30am to 7pm.
  • Saturday: 9.30am to 6pm.
  • Ticket prices unchanged this year

    The entry prices to this year’s show are unchanged from 2018.

    For an adult, to enter costs £20, for seniors (over 65) it is £16, young people (12 to 18), £13, children between five and 11, £3, while children under five years get in free.

    However, discounted pre-show tickets can be purchased online up to 4pm on the Tuesday of the week of the show. They are then emailed to the customer, and are valid for any one day. For an adult, this pre-show ticket costs £17, for seniors it is £12.50, for those between 12 and 18 it is £10 and for children from 5 to 11 it is £2. Go to www.balmoralshow.co.uk/visitors/admission

    Balmoral briefing for new Nuffield scholars

    Anyone interested in undertaking a Nuffield scholarship is invited to attend a briefing event at the show. Taking place in the president’s pavilion at 3.30pm on Thursday 16 May, the guest speaker is Tom Rawson, the director of Evolution Farming, a land management company based in England.

    Rawson is a Nuffield trustee, and a former vice-chair of the National Farmers’ Union dairy committee. He will outline how the Nuffield experience helped him in his farming career.

    To attend, contact Jason Rankin 07710 366730 or register on Eventbrite.

    Visit the Irish Farmers Journal stand at Balmoral

    Please call in at our stand and meet our NI team over a cup of tea or coffee. We would be delighted to discuss our programmes, get feedback on our product or discuss any farming issues.

    The Irish Farmers Journal is again located at stand B2, which is opposite the cattle lawn.

    We will also have a range of branded merchandise available for sale at the show.

    App

    A free Balmoral Show app, sponsored by Kubota, has also been developed by the Irish Farmers Journal. It has numerous features including a stand locator, an event planner and a ‘‘find my car’’ feature.

    To download, on an Apple iPhone or iPad, find the app on the iTunes store. On an Android smartphone, go to the Google Play store.

    Stacey Patterson, marketing and communications executive for Balmoral Show, Rhonda Geary, operations director, and Billy Martin, RUAS president at the launch of this year's Irish Farmers Journal Balmoral Show app sponsored by Kubota. \ Houston Green

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