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.

Great atmosphere on a Friday night very welcoming will be back next week good crowd too and nice to…read morebe able to vape inside too

Un-ions make your eyes water…read more... Union Street Bar is a gay institution in Ireland. Its where all the fun and excitement takes place. Firstly there is something on every single night from around 9pm. If you are on Gaycation or from the city, you will always find something to keep you amused. The bar has recently had a face lift, long over due if you ask me. The atmosphere in here is unrivaled. Union Street has some of the biggest names on the drag circuit in Ireland (Tina Leggs Tantrum, Trudy Scrumptious & Glitzy Glamour). Each queen has a night or two of their own and you are guaranteed a laugh. The most entertaining days are Saturday afternoons and Sunday nights. Saturday afternoons in Union Street is Tina's T-Oke & has become Hen Party central. Good luck getting a seat or a table to eat food as the restaurant is usually booked out weeks in advance. Don't let the Hen party comment put you off. Tina Leggs Tantrum hosts and keeps them in check and still tailors her show for the gay collective. Sunday nights are the biggest gay-fest with the Famous Sunday Bingo Show. Join Tina Leggs Tantrum and guests on stage to enjoy cabaret & bingo. For any first time people attending its important to be open minded, the content is meant to be funny and close to the bone. Expect to struggle to get a seat as the die hard fans will queue religiously from 7:45pm on wards at the entrance to the Shoe Factory (entrance through Union Street Bar) just to get a seat. This can make Union Street extremely busy. Drink promo every night from 7pm to 9pm £2 a drink on selected products.

Xenophobic bar. During the last pride party, Saturday 26th…read moreJuly, I was expelled of the bar with no justification. The security guard communicated me the reason was "inappropriate behaviour" inside the bar, which is quite unlikely, as I never went inside the bar, and I spent my whole time in the outside. The supposed video of the CCTV cameras that showed this presumed inappropriate behaviour was not shown to me. It was not specified what kind of behavior I had, quarrels, fights, harassment, nothing was specified. Of course, no chance was given to me to prove my correct behaviour, asking the people I was meeting in the place, for example. When I asked for a complain form, it was denied. The person who said to be the manager, identified himself as "Andrew", finally showed up. But he said that he was too busy so he will not give me any complain form. In my opinion, the only inappropriate behaviour, it was to be a foreigner. Paradoxical, that a xenophobic bar celebrates a party of tolerance.

So, I was in Belfast for a night and spent most of it drinking and dancing here!…read more Maverick is a gay bar in the "Queer Quarter", but is very welcoming to all ;-) The bar itself has pretty cool decor, if not a bit mishmashed and bizarre (which is good). I was there on a Saturday at about 6pm, there was very nice live music and a good atmosphere. After checking out a few other bars, my mate and myself returned to Maverick later that night. The bar had filled up and the dance floor was open, so it was time to party. The dance floor is in a room in the back of the bar that has real....... charm. The room is quite small yet they managed to fit a fairy-light covered car, obviously the DJ is in the car, and two tables with candelabras on them. The candelabras were burning candles (fire hazard) so there was an added feeling of danger. The music was great, lots of dancing, and there was a good crowd. I would definitely head back here if in Belfast again.

A shocking way to run a business. Not allowing people who spent money to get a taxi from a…read morerestaurant to visit their bar and be told that as we're not regulars, we can't go in. Looks like this happens to a lot of people - why do this? Why not name yourself as a private members bar? It's discrimination on a wide spread scale, a waste of our time and money and downright rude. You'd have had an extra £200 in your till last night - shame isn't it?

Boombox is Belfast's latest addition to the gay scene…read more Located above the Maverick bar this night club certainly entertains. The club itself is oddly shaped and smaller than most nightclubs in the city. The club is open on certain nights but plays host to biggest midweek scream "Bitch Please". Hosted by the comedic duo Rusty Hinges & Roxy Tumbledryer this club night provides drink promos £2 a drink and normally a guest appearance by some of the biggest names from Rupaul's Drag Race. As you may or may not know Rupaul's Drag Race contestants are a pretty big deal and they tease every gay in the land out from their hiding hole. This means the smaller than most club fills up pretty quick so be prepared for lots of spliced drinks / people pushing / standing on you. If you can cope with this then you should feel at home. Weekends are a different affair most of the time. There is a good crowd but you can still sashay your way up and down the dance floor. Sadly Boombox lose out on my 5th Star due to poor crowd management. We stood for 5 hours in the club (after being told get down early) to see a guest appearance. After queueing to get or photo taken in the actual queue. The door steward told us that as we where indeed not VIP we would have to go to the back of the line. His attitude was pretty poor too - although the door staff here are always friendly, this guy must of been on his "moons". I get the club was busy, but perhaps knowing it would be busy, the club could have better planned for their meet & greet.

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

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.

bit cheeky night out good food butnot everyone got dessert, but was delicious!!! just the way itw…read moreas advertised!!! out of all places also cleanest and in its raw form!! lads would visit again ! ps djsetwas bosh

Total Trash Bags. I have always had strong Irish Pride and was under the impression, we were all in…read moreunison, especially in Ireland. I couldn't have been more wrong! Our tour group (20 adults) felt the immediate diversity in this town, the moment we entered. We were turned away from this bar as well as several others in the area from having an Irish southerner as our guide. We couldn't wait to get away from the bad vibes and go towards a more positive part of town. (AKA not protistan territory). Shame on Filthy McNasty, who clearly lives up to their name.

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...

This place was a blast. We had no clue what we were walking into but there was live music and the…read morecrowd wasn't too crazy so it was easy to enjoy the band and get drinks. Huge space. And loved the bouncers/security; lovely people.

I absolutely adore the vibe of this bar. There are moody red lights everywhere, and all the seating…read moreis a beautiful burgundy velvet. There is a stage with live music and dancing to one side of the bar and the other side of the bar is more calm and for conversation. There is a place to order drinks on both sides which is great. The drinks are good and reasonably priced. The staff is friendly and provide fast service. We ordered multiple drinks and shots and it was done very quickly and correct. I would come here weekly if I lived in Belfast. The vibe perfectly fits my aesthetic. There is enough seating for a ton of people it's just perfect. 10/10 experience.

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.

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.