Belfast Photo Festival 2026 Open Call

Opportunities include exhibition at the annual festival in Belfast, before going on a European tour with a range of awards including a £2,000 cash prize.

Overview

The open call is an international opportunity for photographers, artists, collectives, archives, and curators to submit photographic or lens-based work for exhibition during the festival taking place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in June 2026. The theme is open, so participants can explore any subject matter or approach, including projects that blend photography with other disciplines such as performance, sculpture, or text.

Practical Info

Submissions are made through the Picter platform, where applicants can upload up to 15 images per project; photobooks may also be submitted by providing a PDF proof and reference image.

The early-bird entry fee is £22, with the standard fee set at £26, and each project submitted requires its own fee. Applicants must be at least 16 years old. Selected artists must be able to provide high-resolution files for exhibition production or, in the case of photobooks, arrange shipping of the physical book to the festival.

Finalists will be exhibited across prominent city-centre locations in Belfast, and their projects will be featured in the festival programme, on digital platforms, in Abridged Magazine, and potentially in a touring exhibition in Switzerland in 2027. The call also offers opportunities such as the £2,000 Spotlight Award, an interview with major institutions, an artist talk, mentorship, and an Instagram residency.

The jury is composed of Roxana Marcoci (Acting Chief Curator, MoMA), Florian Ebner (Head of Photography, Centre Pompidou), Kim Bubello (Deputy Director of Photography, TIME), Lisa Sutcliffe (Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art), Alessia Glaviano (Head of Global PhotoVogue, Vogue), and Michael Weir (Director of Belfast Photo Festival).

About Belfast Photo Festival

Belfast Photo Festival is one of the largest annual photography festivals in the United Kingdom and Ireland, showcasing contemporary photographic practice through large-scale exhibitions, talks, screenings, and public projects. The jury for the open call includes leading voices in international photography and visual culture, such as curators from MoMA, the Centre Pompidou, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, alongside editors from PhotoVogue and TIME. The festival aims to offer significant exposure, professional development, and international visibility to emerging and established photographers alike.