The line–up and dates for the 7th Belfast/Nashville Songwriter Festival have been announced and Avalon Guitars are once again a major sponsor.

It all happens from 23rd – 27th February, 2011 in various well established live music venues in the centre of Belfast and the stellar list of artists confirmed include Billy Bragg, Nancy Griffith, Nik Kershaw, Foy Vance, Brian Kennedy, Cerys Matthews and many more.

We are especially pleased to welcome to Ireland for the first time the seriously talented Karima Francis who will be performing at the ‘Avalon Presents’ concert during the festival.

More info is available by visiting www.belfastnashville.com and of course, if you’re planning to visit Belfast at that time, we’ll be more than happy to see you at the Avalon workshops!

But why Belfast/Nashville, you may ask? Simples peeps: Belfast and Nashville are twinned cities, or as they say in America, sister cities .. (does that ever rule out Philadelphia from the program we wonder???)

The links between the two cities date back in the mists of time to the Ulster–Scots settlement of Tennessee in the eighteenth century to the diverse relationships and cultural ties that link Belfast and Nashville today. Belfast has been an official sister city of Nashville since 1995 in a partnership focusing on social projects, education, and musical and cultural exchange. Now you know!