Positive Sounds

Positive Sounds Positive Sounds is the collective name for all of Positive Carrickfergus' music, events, projects and training.

01/09/2026

Did you know we offer beginner and graded drum lessons at Uplift. We are excited to welcome Mr Josh Grant to the team for this year and he has a few spaces left for anyone interested in beginner lessons or higher level grades.

Contact us for more details: [email protected]

01/09/2026

Fancy learning guitar!!! Come on down to Uplift and give it a go with Mr Ethan Kells. Limited spaces available!

For more details, please contact a member of our team: [email protected]

27/08/2026
2027 incoming
26/08/2026

2027 incoming

Around The Town isn't just a festival; it's local people celebrating our town together. Thank you for coming out, supporting local talent, and doing your bit to make Carrickfergus a great place to live!

The festival is organised by Lynn McKenzie as part of her Positive Carrickfergus role and Bill "The Thrill" Buchanan of Déjà Vu Promotions who receives a small fee for his services. Ashley William Hamilton supports us with organising and takes care of the PA at events for a small fee also.

The organising and planning begins in September and doesn't end until the last person leaves the finale!

The rest of the events are staffed by a passionate volunteer team lead by Ruth Turkington and Gillian Courtney - we couldn't run the festival without our amazing volunteers.

“It was great to see something positive like this in Carrickfergus that the whole community can find something that interests them”

“Felt good not to have to travel to Belfast to see quality entertainment”

With feedback like this from our audience we are already excited to start planning 2027 ❤️

25/08/2026

Fab photos from the Around the Town Festival as over 2000 people attend Carrickfergus events.

Get a glimpse behind the scenes ...
25/08/2026

Get a glimpse behind the scenes ...

Around the Town 2026 cost £28501 to put on and we are grateful to our sponsors for supporting the events.

We wanted to share some information with the community so that everyone can get a glimpse into what it takes to put on a festival and program of events that are fuelled by passion over profit.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council £4500 events grant
Carrickfergus Literary & Scientific Society £4000 sponsorship
Fonacab Mahoods £3000 sponsorship
Carrickfergus & District Mencap £2000 sponsorship
MEA Events Team £500 event performer fee
Carrickfergus & Greenisland Community Cluster Cluster £200 volunteer expenses

Our main evening events were ticketed at £10 each with the Finale in Shaftesbury Park offering early bird tickets of £10 and general sale tickets of £15, under 16s £5.
The cost for the Finale event alone was just over £14000.

Grant and sponsorship total was £14,200 and alongside £7199 tickets & merch sales brought our total income to £21399.

This leaves us with a shortfall of £7102 which will have to be paid from our limited reserves at Positive Carrickfergus

25/08/2026

How do you turn a community idea into a sustainable business?

Carrick Greengrocers is a community-owned greengrocer in Carrickfergus town centre. Founded as a Community Benefit Society in 2023, the business has grown to more than 430 member owners while supporting local producers and improving access to fresh food.

In this case study, founding director Lee Robb explains how the business used a co-operative model to raise investment, engage customers and build a sustainable local enterprise.

See the case study link in the first comment.

Carrick Greengrocers | Co-operative Alternatives | Department for the Economy NI

24/08/2026

Around The Town Loves Local: How We Made Space For Carrickfergus to Thrive Together

At Positive Carrickfergus, we believe that a strong, active community where there is room for everyone is essential for our town to thrive. Delivered in partnership with Deja Vu Promotions, Around The Town Festival was created with a simple belief: no local artist, musician, or performer should have to leave town just to be seen, heard, and celebrated.

When local people gather in local places to have a great time, incredible things happen. Here is a look at what we achieved together during our latest festival run

Check out our festival stats below 👇👇

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