Coronation Weekend

The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May 2023.

The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort will be broadcast on big screens in Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus.

Council is hosting family fun days on Saturday 6 May to coincide with the historic event at Westminster Abbey.

As well as large outdoor screens at each venue, a range of free entertainment will be delivered at the People’s Park in Ballymena, Town Park in Larne, and Marine Gardens in Carrickfergus.

On Sunday 7 May, a special Coronation Concert will be staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle by the BBC and BBC Studios. The Coronation Big Lunch, at which neighbours and communities are invited to share food and fun together, will take place across the country on the same date.

On Monday 8 May members of the public will be invited to take part in The Big Help Out, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.

Further details about getting involved in this can be found on The Big Lunch section of the Eden Project Communities website.

Full details of the weekend of national celebration can be found on the Royal website's Coronation Weekend Plans page. 

We are finalising a programme of events and activities to mark this historic occasion.

Council’s Coronation Working Group is meeting regularly to plan and deliver local activities and celebrations.

The group consists of Chair Cllr Cheryl Brownlee, Cllr Matthew Armstrong, Cllr Keith Turner, Cllr William McCaughey, Cllr Gregg McKeen and Cllr Lauren Gray.

Further details regarding Coronation plans locally will be announced soon, including the availability of community grants for local groups to host their own events.

The Coronation Working Group has agreed a number of Council-led initiatives and activities, such as:

• Facilitating the broadcast of the Coronation on large screens in Larne, Ballymena and Carrickfergus, including children’s entertainment
• Biodiversity engagement projects in honour of the Coronation, including the planting of trees in key areas
• The lighting up of key buildings in Mid and East Antrim
• Planting of Coronation-themed floral displays in Mid and East Antrim
• The rollout of commemorative coins to local children
• Jewellery-making workshops
• An art competition and exhibition
• The use of Coronation logo at key civic buildings
• Potentially offering of Coronation Certificates for children born in 2023
• The publication of a Coronation-themed colouring book
• A community/civic service at Saint Patrick’s Church in Ballymena
• To support and encourage community group’s activities to coincide with The Big Help Out
• A series of special talks/exhibitions

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Coronation Grants 

Community groups across Mid and East Antrim can now apply for up to £500 towards local events to celebrate the Coronation.

A special grant scheme has been opened by the Council to mark the historic event.

The event must take place during the Coronation weekend, which is Friday 5 May – Monday 8 May 2023.

The closing date for applications for this category is Friday 31 March 2023 at 4pm (subject to the availability of budget).    

Guidance notes can be downloaded from our Grants Funding page.

Applications should be submitted online.

Further information on the grant process is available by contacting the Grants Office at T: 028 2563 3198 or T: 028 2563 3530 or emailing: Grants@midandeastantrim.gov.uk.

Please note that applying for a grant is a competitive process and awards are subject to the availability of funds.

A list of all Council-funded Coronation events will be compiled on Council’s website, and event organisers are asked to tag Council in social media posts so that details of their activities can be promoted and shared.

Council, as part of its duties under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, is committed to equal opportunities and good relations and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. All awards will be based strictly on the merit principle.

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The National Lottery Community Fund

The National Lottery Community Fund have recognised that there will be communities across Northern Ireland that want to apply for National Lottery funding to mark the upcoming Coronation of His Majesty The King on Saturday 6 May 2023.

Organisations can apply to the 'National Lottery Awards for All' to mark this occasion.

Applications can take up to 12 weeks for a decision to be reached, so groups should take this into account when deciding on their project start date.

Visit the National Lottery Community Fund's Northern Ireland page for information.

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Coronation Champions Award

The Coronation Champions Awards celebrate the work of extraordinary volunteers across the UK.

In honour of Their Majesties’ service to the country, Royal Voluntary Service is launching the Coronation Champions Awards for volunteers, an official Coronation project.

Together with Her Majesty The Queen Consort, the awards will celebrate extraordinary volunteers across the country who have been contributing to their communities.

You can nominate your champion on the Coronation Champions Award webpage.