Balmoral Show 2024: Northern Ireland’s biggest food and agri event returns with mini Land Rovers for children, top level sheep dog demonstrations, and long awaited return of poultry exhibitors

The four-day show, running from Wednesday to Saturday (15-18 May) at the Eikon Exhibition Centre outside Lisburn, will also welcome the long awaited return of poultry exhibitors - with avian flu restrictions now lifted - and a top level sheep dog demonstration.Operations Manager Rhonda Geary hopes visitor numbers will once again be over 100,000 for the four day event.

"I would say the number one new feature this year would be the mini-Land Rover off-road driving course for the children," she told the News Letter.

"The other big new features this year are the sheepdog trials display and the return of poultry for the first time since 2019, with almost 500 birds."It is our 155th Balmoral Show and we're all set for four good days, we hope.

"The entries have been fantastic this year with almost 4000 head of livestock over the four days.

"The entries in most sections have gone up this year with the horses and sheep, and we have almost 200 more sheep, which is fantastic."

The 55 acre site showcases the very best of Northern Ireland food, agriculture and rural produce.

"It is possible to see it all in one day but you would really need to make a full day of it."

"We have everything from flower arranging, sheep shearing, the new children's area with the mini Land Rover off road driving course, the kids farm and climbing wall and and then the poultry and rabbits.

The show features a new Sustainability Village this year in the annex building which will provide myriad advice on how to reduce household waste and be more energy efficient.

The Northern Ireland School of Falconry returns this year, as does the jaw-dropping Bolddog Lings motorcycle display team.

The horticultural area includes many trade stands, garden garden features, cookery demonstrations and planting demonstrations for fruit and veg.

There is the usual full programme of livestock competitions, showjumping classes and sheep shearing.

But this year will also display what happens after the shearing, with the Six Nations wool handling competition, showing how the wool is handled, prepared and rolled up to be taken away for processing.

The very popular NI Food and Drink drink pavilion, returns with over 100 producers of local artisan foods and drinks.

And the Eikon Shopping Village features, as usual, beautiful local crafts, jewellery and clothes.

"I suppose it's an almost 55 acre site for entertainment and education," Rhonda added.

"I would anticipate that if Friday and Saturday were as good as last week - or at least dry - that we will have a bumper weekend."

Translink is encouraging visitors to travel by bus or train with a free shuttle bus from Lisburn Train Station taking them directly to the show. Selected Enterprise services between Dublin and Lanyon Place Station will also stop at Lisburn station to help get people to the event. For more information see www.translink.co.uk/balmoralshow and www.balmoralshow.co.uk