Great street full of character and spraypaintings. Book shops, travel agents and the chip show that…read morefeatured on the Rhianna video! #FoundLoveInAHopelessPlace

Wonderful street art has transformed North Street. Worth a wander through just to admire the…read moreregularly updated urban art. Really fabulous!

A quirky spot to find art and comedy…read more Drink and Draw is on once a month - A great event to unleash the artist within you, just bring along your sketching materials and your favourite tipple for a night of creative fun. A donated piece of art is awarded to the best drawing of the evening. Full review here: ;-) http://nilights.info/event-46-drink-draw/ Voicebox comedy runs on the last Friday of every month. A bring your own comedy club where you'll find great local comedic talent trying out new material. Expect a night of various comedy acts including improv, performance poetry and musical comedy. A bargain giggle.

Loft Studios reverberate with creativity. Stressed wooden staircases, exposed attic beams and huge…read moresouth facing windows contribute to a light flooded space that hums with an atmosphere of expectation. As soon as you walk in you can immediately tell that great things happen here. This collective of bright young Artists currently includes Brian Kelt, Louise Younger, Jan Gorman, Christina Ellen Maher, David-Lee Badger, Mike Harvey, Gemma Gallagher, Eoin McGinn (aka Emic), Chris Loughlin and Erin Hagan. A real melting pot of talented painters, illustrators, photographers and installation artists. On a recent visit to Loft it was a delight to view paintings by Eoin McGinn and Brian Kelt as I've long been a fan of their work. I also heard from David-Lee Badger about Deadbeat, which is an online platform for the arts, filled with music, design and arts related interviews and reviews. You can check out and follow Deadbeat's Twitter account @deadbeatweets. The Loft Collective run monthly Drink and Draw events, which are informal drawing sessions. It's BYOB and some art materials are supplied by Inkmonkey art shop. They also host comedy nights. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more event information: https://www.facebook.com/loftbelfast.

I do love a good night out at the flicks, and if you are a fan of film this is the place to be!…read moreBelfast has plenty of options for watching the usual big budget fayre but for the more discerning viewer the QFT always has something on offer. I've cried at cartoons, laughed at documentaries and rocked out at the rockumentaries. You should also keep an eye out for their special events. Last week I saw the new Hockney documentary which included a live link up to the artist's studio in LA and was shown in tandem with 200 cinemas across the UK. It was awesome. I took my Dad who usually falls asleep within 15 mins of anything, and he was on the edge of his extremely comfortable seat! The new bar area is a lovely ,relaxed space, and it makes a nice change to smell culture rather than overpriced sickly popcorn! ;-)

The QFT is one of the few independent cinemas left in Belfast (probably in Northern Ireland…read moreactually). It's the place to see modern, largely independent films. It's also a great place to see films like Coco Before Chanel or La Vie En Rose - pretty well known and successful films, but not mainstream enough for the chain cinemas. You'll get a mix of students, film buffs and Guardian reader types (I mean no offence, I include myself in that group!) here, all enjoying the chance to see something different, challenging, and hopefully more interesting than some of the films available in bigger screenings. The only criticism I have is of the screens themselves. There isn't a lot of leg room (not a problem for me, I'm 5ft3", but anyone over about 5ft6 would have trouble), and only some of the seats are elevated. At a screening of Coco Before Chanel, the only seat I could get was in the third row and as a result, I could see the bottom of the screen. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but when the film is subtitled, it's a pretty fatal flaw. Thankfully, my French isn't terrible, so I was able to fill in some of the blanks, but others weren't so lucky. There are always some great films and talks on at the QFT during the Belfast Film Festival, so whether you're a casual fan or a total film buff, this place is worth checking out.

W5 is officially described as 'an interactive discovery centre' which doesn't sound half as much…read morefun as it really is. It is an educational place, but boy is it fun! The first time we went, my kids were absolutely blown away - there is nothing else in Belfast in this league. There are 4 separate areas - START, GO, SEE and DO and each has loads of fun stuff for kids and the adults with them to do. START is best for younger children - although my 9 year old still secretly loves it. You can't imagine some of the exhibits and best of all, you are allowed to touch and get involved with everything. First thing you'll see is the fully functioning mini branch of Tesco - shelves, fruit, veg, packets and a chilled counter with fake lobsters and mussels and even a till which beeps as you put each item through. Genius. Then there's the real Mini car which you can tinker around with, a mini building site with crane and foam bricks and roof tiles, a huge water play area (they even provide waterproof aprons), and how great is this - a recording studio where you can watch yourself on screen as you play a wooden guitar. I mean the children can watch themselves, obviously I haven't done that. GO is all about space so will appeal to junior astronauts. You can sit on pulley chairs which you have to use your own body strength to lift, join in a massive tug of war, experiment with magnets, and build and race K'Nex cars. SEE - I love this bit. You can create cartoons and add sound effects. I think I missed my vocation in life. Even better, you can make music with lights and your movements. This section is quite 'laboratory' like and will appeal to even too cool for skool pre and early teens. Finally there is DO, where you can get stuck in building robots and learning all about our weather systems. Like anything you make in W5, you have to respect the rules and leave your model behind for someone else to dismantle and use the materials. There is a café but it sells a limited selection of scones and sandwiches. But the good news is that there are picnic areas so you can bring your own food, saving money and ensuring that your kids will have something they like. There's also a shop which sells reasonably priced gadgets and toys. A stroke of genius is that there are lockers on the ground floor so don't have to carry bags and coats etc which I think is fab, especially in winter when you'll have hats, scarves etc too. A ticket for 2 adults and 2 children will cost £22. That might seem off putting at first glance but bear in mind that your ticket is valid for the full day and you can leave for something to eat in one of the nearby restaurants and go back in. You could easily spend 3 -4 hours at W5, especially on your first visit. I cannot recommend W5 highly enough for a family day out , just one word of caution, wet days in the summer holidays can be crazy busy in W5, so go first thing or later on in the day.

Recently visited w5 with a very hyperactive 1 year old godchild and she as well as i loved it! It…read moreis great for tiny people to explore and run away with their imagination! In particular the kids seemed to enjoy the discovery area which is for under 8's only. It is a great place for children to get into role play as it is set out in real life situations and allows children to learn about themselves and the world around them as well as encouraging them to experiment. There is a little water area which is particularly good for sensory and motor development and the little ones appeared to have a ball in here! One tip is to bring an extra set of clothes for them because if they are anything like this child they (and everyone else around them) will be soaked from head to toe!! Children under 3 years go free and £8.50 for an adult. They also do great family offers and all in all it is a great family day out for all ages :)

We visited the Ulster Museum after we had done quite a few other attractions and decided to only…read morefocus on one of the displays, namely the section dedicated to the Troubles. Extremely informative and well-presented.

Great museum with a wide variety of things- like a national museum. So many genres, and we got…read moreextra lucky that there was an exhibit of current artists with art for sale. That exhibit was gigantic and impressive. Only downside of the museum was no acoustical/ absorption to buffer the screeching children. It was well worth a visit if you have spare time in Belfast.

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.

i have been here loads and it is very good i always enjoy myself here dude.read more

A hidden gem, the Crescent Arts Centre may look basic, but this modern venue is a great open space…read morewith everything you need to host an event. Clean, functional and accommodating, I have seen numerous events here from poetry slams to comedy improv shows. It's BYOB too, which is a great addition!

The Crescent Arts Centre is a basic but contemporary looking venue…read more It functions as a community arts centre for the people of Belfast and holds a variety of dance, music, creative writing and visual art / craft classes for all. They also push the boat out by holding a artistic participatory events, exhibitions and performances. The Crescent Arts Centre are also the curators of the City Dance Festival and Belfast's longest running literary festival - Between the Lines. I was there recently for the Trans:mission night, showcasing the best Irish electronica musicians, as part of Belfast's innovative trans festival. I was itching to see Nouveau Noise, from Dublin who play deliciously glitchy and lush electronica. The set up was very relaxed. It was a mere £5 in and BYOB. Everyone in the main room was seated round tables dotted around the venue and chatting away. On stage there were electronica acts playing some really interesting and innovative stuff with some cool visuals being projected behind them. In the middle of the night, there was a drawing competition- where two massive boards were erected each side of the stage and a 'crew' of illustrators and street artists from Dublin had to freestyle a picture, with a Dj playing in the background. It made for such an interesting night. I'm all for Arts spaces opening up their doors to gigs, like Block T in Dublin. And the bring your own booze door policy is always a winner.

Open to public and trade, crown have a small store but mix paints to any crown colour and a range…read moreof sizes and finishes. Friendly helpful staff.