Cancel

Open app

Search

Custom House Square

4.0 (8 reviews)

Custom House Square Photos

Recommended Reviews - Custom House Square

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Underground Graffitti tunnel to Custom House Square.
Ciara S.

Custom House Square is home to some great events and activities e.g. music concerts, shows, festivals, performances, VegStock and the annual Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival main marque. It's a perfect size for small to mid-sized events and has a pleasant more dynamic feel than many other similar spaces in Belfast. Surrounded by both historical and modern buildings, the Albert Memorial Clock, various sculptures and water features which ensure Custom House Square is an interesting and central location to visit or walk through.

See all

Photo of Stevie M.
1422
1126
3718

11 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lynne M.
36
426
478

16 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 14
Thanks 0
Love this 9
Oh no 0
Photo of Suzi B.
14
493
828

16 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Judith C.
6
408
124

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 years ago

i dont really see why this place is here there is no need for it.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Verify this business for free

Get access to customer & competitor insights.

Verify this business

The Black Box - Tease-O-Rama Burlesque Show 24.09.16, Shir Madness (photo from Performers website)

The Black Box

(28 reviews)

The Cathedral Quarter

Can't believe I am dropping a star for the Black Box, but I went last night and myself and a few…read morefriends decided we would like a slice of their amazing pizza. Unfortunately we were advised that there was a new chef and pizza is no longer served by the slice and must be bought as a whole 10" pizza, not good when you have vegetarians in the group and the meat eaters miss out on their carnivorous ways as one pizza is too much for a person on their own (well sometimes it is!) To top that off the pizza was nowhere near as nice as it used to be, this is a real shame as this what made the black box stand out from the crowd. Love love love this place! It has a relaxed atmosphere and always has something unusual to keep you entertained. I would frequent here quite regularly and have always had a great time whether it is because of the show on offer or simply due to the patrons. It's honestly like going into someone's living room if you enter into the small bar, pizza is served by the slice for £1-2 and is scrumptious. A Drink is not overly priced either. In the main room at the back they have a variety of shows on offer such as comedy and music nights and even a burlesque night I recently attended. All and all the cultural heart and soul of the cathedral quarter.

Love, love, love the Black box. Did I happen to mention I love this place…read more I've had some great nights there. The burlesque nights are always brilliant. Shouldn't be missed. A night you won't forget. Also some brilliant events as part of the QCAF

The Limelight

The Limelight

(31 reviews)

£

City Centre

Went for paddy's day. Waited in the queue for ages with bouncers looking at all of us in our…read morejerseys and never said anything, whn doors opened I had a woman and a man turn to me and said my jersey was questionable and I wasn't to be let in. I was wearing a jersey that had a Palestine flag and an Irish flag across the chest. Prior to all this I had messages the limelight instagram account and was told that anything with a political message or something that could offend someone more than likely was gonna be turned away. So we had went and bought New Jersey's for this reason. I had paid for my ticket and was refused entry over a top that had 2 flags on it, nothing offensive or political at all. I even turned it inside out and got laughed at and felt belittled when they said I still wasn't going to be let In. It was st Patrick's day, everyone was going to be in jerseys, i know I wasn't the only one with a jersey on that had nothing bad to it, and still got refused. The bouncers are and always have been too concerned about small things and rather than actually doing their job they belittle others. very disappointing, very annoyed. Please be aware of the bouncers egos and how rude they can be, absolutely disgusting.

The Limelight, eh...? It's where it all started for me. Sneaking in, trying to look over 18,…read morefailing miserably and having to wait until I was actually 18 to fully enjoy the place! It's a bit of everything: it's a great live venue, in which I've seen more bands than I'd care to remember, but it's worth mentioning that you'll get touring acts from all over the place as well as lots of performances from local bands, which I'm a big fan of. It's slightly grimy, yes, but that fits with the charavter of the place. It's not meant to be shiny and spotless. It's meant to be a little bit dirty! Lots of drinks offers make it a great place to go for a cheap night out as well. Although, I should warn you that the crowd is young. I remember even feeling old in my last year in uni! For that reason, i still go for gigs every now and then, but as a club, I'm more likely to be found next door in Katy's enjoying a quiet pint. Good God, I may as well just invest in a pipe and slippers and be done with it...

Oh Yeah Music Centre - NI Music Exhibition

Oh Yeah Music Centre

(10 reviews)

£

The Cathedral Quarter

This is quite an interesting venue. It has so many applications... rehearsal space, offices, cafe,…read moremusic venue, gallery and music museum. It is great that it exists and that Belfast has stuck its neck out and is trying to make the music center work. Its not really a place that you can just go into and hang out, unlike the Black Box where you can just go into anytime and it not be unusual.... It is now looking the part after having a couple of years of being renovated in stages. I think it serves its purpose pretty well as it is just a new venture and is making baby steps to have more of a presence in the local scene.

The Oh Yeah Centre is the brain child/labour of love of Stuart Bailie, former editor of the NME…read more Based in the former home of Oh Yeah Records, a punk label from the 1980s, the centre provides a home for local music. Their main aim is to help support and promote the local music industry and they do that pretty well. The range of activities and events it stages is vast. There are gigs, obviously, some of which are aimed at under 18s (something Belfast sorely needed), rehearsal rooms for hire for bands who need space and equipment, a cafe and space for kids to come in, listen to music and hang out, and their crown jewel - the music exhibition. The exhibition basically charts Northern Ireland music from its traditional roots, to modern heroes like Snow Patrol (say what you like about them, at least they're flying the flag!). Recently, the whole thing was expanded and now features video confessionals from civilians like you and me, recounting their favourite gigs, lyrics, Northern Irish bands and so on. The building is also home to small businesses as well, such as Start Together Studios and Small Town America Records - both of which are success stories in their own right and would find it difficult to get city centre premises otherwise. The exhibition is free and open to the public every day except Sunday, so if you have even a passing interest in anything musical, I'd give it a whirl.

Slide Nightclub

Slide Nightclub

(2 reviews)

City Centre

Slide is a newly opened gay friendly bar/club bang in the centre of Belfast. It is situated on the…read moretop floor of an old Victorian building and in order to get up there you enter by a little door next to the pizza parlour and you have to climb a lot of steep narrow stairs - I'm not grumbling but it was kind of hard in heels. The bar itself is situated on two levels. In the lower bar there is a massive bed which patrons can feel free to lounge on while they drink - the first night I saw it there were about 8 people on it - cosy! The music was so good - from Florence and the Machine to Stevie Wonder, our group danced the night away without being squashed as the dance floor was only comfortably crowded and the bar was easy to get too, which for me makes the night. I do remember dancing on top of a speaker and theoretically playing a full sized piano placed near the dance floor - thankfully it doesn't make any sound. As far as I'm concerned there were only two drawbacks to slide: the smoking area is tiny and not sheltered and the toilets are one floor down - narrow, steep stairs and booze isn't a great combination. All in all a fun-filled night - I'll be sliding again soon.

In my quest to seek out new venues i've come across a nice new gay/lesbian bar which seems to be…read moretucked away out of site, the bar? Well its called 'Slide' and is based on Ann's Street, Belfast. Its a persian styled venue with table service on one floor and on another a small but comfortably sized dance floor, considering this is like a well kept secret size here really isnt important. The staff were extremly friendly and welcoming which is a plus point considering some of the other LGB venues in belfast tend to employ staff who dont exactly know how to smile. For those who cant find it, its above Little Wings Pizzeria, on Anns Street Belfast.

Ulster Hall - The Ulster Hall

Ulster Hall

(22 reviews)

££

City Centre

We went to enjoy an Eagles tribute band. They were very good, and despite being one band member…read moredown through injury, they performed just over 2 hours but we thought Talon (another Eagles tribute) were better. There's very little car parking nearby and the area around the hall has become overrun with hotels. The hall was quaint, airy, with good acoustics, but I found the seating cheap and terribly uncomfortable - if I were 7 stone and ultra thin it might have been ok but alas no. Worst of all, my view, from my ground floor seat, was spoiled as I was sat right beside an ugly 6 inch steel pillar (no centimetres here so I'm ready for Brexit - which is more than the government can say). I felt quite cheated on being charged full ticket price for an obstructed view. The hall sells alcohol, but we didn't bother as it's just not comfortable enough to relax enough to enjoy a drink. Now this will sound a bit daft but I'd struggle to name more than two members of the original Eagles band. I like their music but I've no real interest in knowing anything about them. Spookily enough it's been 25 years to the day since we were in this beautiful hall. Sadly we can't change the past as on that magical night we saw John Denver live for the last time. As I sat there last night, I recalled John telling the story of how he came to write Shanghai Breezes out of a phone conversation to his former wife when he was in Shanghai. He linked his tale to suggest something we already know and often ignore here, that in this throwback place we should be able to live together harmoniously. Plainly we still choose not to put ourselves out too much.

Ahhhhh...Ulster Hall...the memories! During my misspent youth I saw quite a few great (and…read morequestionable) bands here including Aerosmith, Poison, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Def Leppard - well it was the early 1990s hahahahaha! In more recent years I've seen The Cult in concert (it always annoyed me that I didn't get to see them play years ago), numerous art exhibitions and the Belfast Beer and Cider Festival. Conveniently and centrally located on Bedford Street, Ulster Hall's easy to reach by foot or bus. I love the small, intimate environment of this understated, beautiful, Victorian building which is great for smaller events. The interior is refined elegance with the world-famous Mulholland Grand Organ prominently displayed and an art gallery space too. However, it can feel a bit overpopulated at times, as was the case with the 2015 Belfast Beer and Cider Festival and I find the temperature is often uncomfortably warm, especially when packed for a concert or event. Much to my embarrassment I've never actually seen the Ulster Orchestra live, whose home is in the Ulster Hall, but I'm planning on seeing them soon and am keeping an eye on Belfast City Councils website for more Ulster Hall events.

The Warzone Centre - Vegan Event Lecture at The Centre

The Warzone Centre

(2 reviews)

City Centre

The (Warzone) Centre has a subterranean feel despite being located up a flight of stairs in Little…read moreVictoria Street. It's not well signposted, so could easily be missed. I would describe this place as being like marmite, you'll either love it or hate it. To really appreciate The Centre you need to fully understand it's history, ethics and reason for existence. It was created in 1986 and has opened and closed over the years, changing location a few times. Born out of a need to serve 'alternative culture' in Belfast, it's home to music gigs, art workshops, Giros Vegetarian Cafe, talks, lectures, meetings, gatherings and art exhibitions. It fills a space and need in Belfast which just isn't being met anywhere else and is run by volunteers. Atmosphere is grungy and dark with mural painted walls and twinkly fairy lights strung across the ceiling. To visualise the appearance and vibe of this place think - punk, gothic, rock, band posters, creative, different, alternative and absolutely not mainstream - and you'll be someway there. I've attended a couple of Vegan Event talks here which were excellent and sampled some delicious spicy vegetarian stew from Giros - thanks to the generous Colin W for sharing it with me! There's a stage, Giros Cafe kitchen and counter, tables, chairs and plenty of floor space. Anyone can book this Centre for an event, to do so you just email: warzonegigcollective@riseup.net For information on upcoming events visit the Warzone website or Facebook page at: http://www.warzonecollective.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Warzone-gig-collective/156649134364054 I would also recommend keeping an eye on the Plant Based Living Facebook page for event information: https://www.facebook.com/Plant-Based-Living-1561868980720956/

The Warzone Centre is a pretty cool venue. It has a bit of a feel of a community hall or really…read moregrungy trendy art venue. The whole place is decorated with some awesome artwork in a very street art/graffiti type vibe. As a venue itself its of moderate size and seems capable of handling a variety of types of event. I attended a vegan talk there last night and it was my first time in the centre. (I hadn't even realised it was there!) Definitely a trendy, heart of the city kind of place. I'd recommend it for any number of events.

Custom House Square - musicvenues - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...