Choose AND... The Ideal Location for your Sporting Event

Where natural beauty meets sporting excellence—Ards and North Down is the ideal host for your next big event

When it comes to staging unforgettable sporting events, Ards and North Down truly has it all. Perfectly positioned on the shores of Belfast Lough and Strangford Lough, this stunning Borough combines breathtaking natural landscapes with world-class facilities and a proven track record of hosting major competitions. Whether it’s outdoor endurance challenges, watersports along 115 miles of dramatic coastline, or high-performance events in state-of-the-art arenas, Ards and North Down offers the space, the expertise, and the atmosphere to make every event a success. Add to that a thriving hospitality scene, versatile venues for ceremonies and celebrations, and a strong commitment to sustainability, and you’ll see why AND is not just a location—but the ideal location—for your next sporting event.

Outdoor and water’s edge sports events

The 115 miles of scenic coastline, leads from the edge of Belfast Lough, on to the Ards Peninsula and Strangford Lough (the UK’s largest sea lough and a designated Marine Nature Reserve). There are many parks, coastal paths and designated bathing water sites, combining attractive coastline with beautiful open spaces. The Borough is home to 12 sailing clubs.

State-of-the-art facilities

The Borough boasts a strong offering of high-quality sports facilities including two flagship leisure complexes, Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex and Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex, as well as a multi-pitch facility at Londonderry Playing Fields in Newtownards. There is also mid-size Council owned facilities in Comber, Holywood and Portaferry, and a variety of privately owned indoor and outdoor facilities. 

Venues for opening and closing ceremonies

There are a variety of venues available, perfect for hosting memorable opening and closing ceremonies. With Council-owned function spaces, privately run hospitality venues, conference facilities, and unique visitor attractions, presenting excellent options for these important event elements.

Excellence in gymnastics

There are four gymnastics venues in the Borough including Origin Gymnastics based at Ards Blair Mayne Leisure and Wellbeing Complex. This new facility (opened 2023) is the official home training site for Olympic Gold Medallist Rhys McClenaghan. Led by British Gymnastics Master Coach Luke Carson, Origin is inspired by the physical and psychological benefits of the sport.

Demonstrated success

The Borough has hosted many world-class sports events, a number of which have been supported by Council.  These include World Powerboat Championships, Junior Sailing Championships, World Trial Bike Championships, swimming galas including the McCullagh Cup and Ireland Olympic trails, Professional Golf Competitions, international athletics meets, and football competitions

including The NI Cup. 

Stand for Sustainability

In recent years the Council, and the Borough as a whole, has made progress on becoming more sustainable and is demonstrating that commitment with the Roadmap to Sustainability. It covers the period from 2021 to 2028 and is based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Find out more

Sustainability is at the heart of our offering for visitors, the AND Sustainable Giants is a passionate group of tourism providers committed to sustainable and green tourism practices, building sustainability into their everyday business.

Find out more visitardsandnorthdown.com/sustainable