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The SSE Arena - Belfast

3.6 (34 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

The SSE Arena - Belfast Photos

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Mark C.

having never seen an ice hockey game i was pretty impressed with my first experience of the game in Belfast. The action of the game was very fast paced to the point where any time I'd turn away for even a few seconds i'd miss someone scoring or some sort of action. I really enjoyed it. The arena was pretty good with a good number of food stands dotted around the place and good spacious seating.

Odyssey Sporting Arena
Stevie M.

I am a fan of the Odyssey Arena, it brings global sporting events and world superstars to our city and for that alone it has to be praised. Recently I seem to have been in the Odyssey sporting arena a lot and each time I have been I have had a pleasant experience. As with any mass coming together of people there are going to be small things that happen that you are just going to have to accept, like queues at the bars or box office issues but this is just part and parcel of hosting a large scale event. The great things about the Odyssey are as follows: It is easy to get to - You can get a taxi for under £10 from Belfast City Centre although weather permitting you can walk from the City's Cathedral Quarter. If you're driving there are a choice of 3 car parks in close proximity to the arena. The Car park opposite is charged at £3 for 3 hours which is extremely reasonable. Beware of parking in here for concerts as it is a nightmare getting out. Titanic Quarter train station on the Belfast to Bangor train line is around a 10 minute walk from the arena also. The range of Sporting events on offer - In the last month the Odyssey Arena has staged Premier League Darts, World Championship Boxing and of Course is home to the Belfast Giant Ice Hockey team. The Belfast Giants in particular has a real family atmosphere. The Odyssey Arena also has a nightclub, a few restaurants, a bowling alley, a cinema and a dedicated sports bar on site! What more could you ask for?

Subway Shooter
Stacey K.

I thought when the Odyssey Arena changed to the SSE arena that it would have got a whole new face lift. I was disappointed to find out that it is exactly the same arena with a different name. The arena has so much potential to be so much better!

Adam C.

I noticed tonight for the first time that the odyssey really had gone downhill. The arena is great for concerts etc but put that to one side and you are not left with much else. I think it has so much potential- I remember when the place was buzzing every weekend with people queuing to get into Bambu and coyote. There also used to be a lot more restaurants, now you can take your pick from soda joes Pizza Hut or a dodgy Chinese. I would love to see someone take this place over, bring back some decent restaurants and a good club, I also think it would be the ideal location for N Ireland's first casino!

Vivek T.

Real lucky to be watching the Uni of Massachusetts play St LOUIS Uni in the Friendship games ice hockey. Great suite, hospitality, food, drink and game!!!!

Michael bubles last visit 2014
David G.

Such a shame the name changed, odyssey is a far better name. Fantastic venue with massive potential for future concerts , shows and events. More variety at the bars on the way into the arena would be an improvement and more publicity around upcoming events too. Loads of other places in the complex and plenty of parking. Only been here for a hockey game and when Michael buble had a concert in Belfast. Sse give us more variety of sports,events and performances.

Photo courtesy of Odyssey arena website

Having seen what some fellow reviewers have said about the Odyssey, I have to say both of those 'worlds' do exist down there....there is the existence of these strange gangs of teenagers, bereft of any real place to go to, that seem to just hang around inside the main building, probably just trying to stay out of the rain...although I've seen many attempting to get into the nightclubs inside. It does give the place a bit of a 'seedy' vibe. I'm not even thirty and looking at all the skin-tight neon lycra makes me feel decidedly old... Moving on, with regard to the arena itself, I've never been to a bad concert there...it's a great venue for the big names and thier live shows have always had the place pumping with energy and excitement. I've seen Eric Clapton, Kylie, Take That and Lady Gaga (please don't comment on my music taste!) and each gig has been fantastic. Now, I know a lot of that has to do with the technical team that actually travel around with the show, but if you don't have a good venue, the show wouldn't work. So music/entertainment-wise, it's always good. And the staff are plentiful, and always keep you right when finding where you're supposed to be. The big downer is the EXTORTIONATE price you have to pay for a bottle of water. It was at least £2.50 and I'm not kidding. I was appalled. They also don't offer much other alcoholic choice than Smirnoff Ice and beer - not a great range to be honest. I thought it was really bad how much they charged for a drink. Also, people smoke in the toilets and it's not really policed very well - not a big personal issue for me, but a definite fire hazard! All in all, if you're going to see someone you really love here, then you'll have a great night - I also recommend getting seated tickets as the view is never compromised and you don't spend all night jostling for your place in the crowd!

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1 year ago

Great venue, saw Mrs Brown Boys Live here and the costumer service was AMAZING! Decent sized venue and cheap drinks!

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Review Highlights - The SSE Arena - Belfast

The odyssey also includes the IMAX Cinema which offers many different screenings of films, and also boasts its V.

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Kremlin

Kremlin

(29 reviews)

££

Stopped by about 9:20 pm on a Friday and it was very chill - only a few people here, but I…read moreunderstand that it picks up. We enjoyed some C & C (Cider and Cher) in the light of the CCCP sign. Great ambiance and service. Really cool and unique vibe. Props for the trans pride flag flying outside.

International visitor here. I am visiting Belfast for a few days on a multi-city trip from…read moreoverseas. First thing, the side of the building says "Kremlin" and on the other block there's a sign for "Shoe Factory," both of which show up when you search for gay bars in Belfast. I walked up on the Shoe Factory side and there was no signage explaining where the entry is. Thus, I headed over the Maverick, where I had a pleasant cocktail and drag show. From there, I went onto the sidewalk and saw the sign for Kremlin and walked up the steps. Two gentleman explained to me that's not where the entry is, it's around the corner. So for those out of towners like me, in the center of the alley street there is a group of bouncers and a line - that's how you get both into Kremlin AND Shoe Factory (in case you stumble across this review while googling, now you know). Security checks IDs so be sure you're carrying something valid. I had a EU and US passport - showed the bouncer my EU passport and he gave me an odd look, which made me wonder - maybe they don't get many tourists? There was a £6 cover charge, which you can pay by card. I went inside and on the Kremlin side, they had good drink specials. Ordered one cocktail but the dance floor and bar were dead, so I headed to Shoe Factory, which was more my vibe. While I was there, I was taking some videos of the atmosphere and people dancing and sending it in a group chat to my friends in the US to show them how Belfast gets down. When I went to get another drink at Kremlin - since that side of the bar is dead, I started to video the dance floor and then decided not to because it was dead. The bartender at Kremlin (a she) asked me if I knew the girls on the stage / she had to ask me like 3 times cause I couldn't hear her, and I told her no, and she walked away to grab security. They escorted me out and when they brought me outside, the security guard told me I was taking inappropriate videos of girls and being a creep, and needed to leave. lol. For one, I'm not into girls...and second...I was taking video of multiple spots to share on my blogs, with my friends, and in reviews. I wasn't gonna argue so I just left. Needless to say, here is what I have to say in a nutshell: *Belfast does not have a "gay" scene. It is very small, so if you're looking for a gay bar on a visit, I recommend you skip that part of your trip and find something else to do. *I am not sure if this place is a "locals" only place and if maybe I looked out of my place with my foreign IDs, non-Irish accent, and cultural difference. For example, in Amsterdam and in the US, clubs would *want* you to take video and post them in reviews so they can attract more visitors. *in future bar/club visits, I'll ask the bartenders/staff when and if it's appropriate to take pix and videos - which of course, they are going to take as "weird" but apparently that's what you need to do. Don't assume. At the same time, they could've handled it better and told me not to record and/or ask more questions than assume I'm some kind of pervert. *I would not recommend this place to anyone. As I said above, have a nice cocktail somewhere else and don't expect to find a thriving gay scene in Belfast. *I am not sure this business really wants people other than locals because there was no "clear" signage or direction on how to enter. If it wasn't for the dudes on the steps of Kremlin, I would've never made it inside. Also, the way the security guard looked at me after checking my ID, suggested some kind of prejudice. It would not surprise me if maybe to the staff inside I wasn't welcome (again, a very "local" crowd).

Odyssey Cinemas Belfast

Odyssey Cinemas Belfast

(34 reviews)

The Titanic Quarter

I do like coming here, I think partly due to sentimentality and it being the place myself and…read morefriends came to when the Odyssey in general was in its prime and we were at that young carefree age where we were just starting to drive and could go where we wanted. The cons to this place first to get them out of the way then. First and foremost, it's run down. The seats are still among the more comfortable you're likely to enjoy a movie in, but there will be rips in the fabric of some and stains on others, plus you can feel the groove of many of the people who have sat in them before over the years. So it could do with some investment to spruce it up. There is also then the cost of parking to consider and that car really the only way to get here as it's a bit out of the way otherwise. If you want to make an evening of it, there is the problem that the run down nature of the place is reflected across the whole Odyssey Pavilion which means that there is nowhere left in the complex to eat, other than a Pizza Hut or a lighter bite in the Street Café here. The price of drinks and snacks here, like most cinemas is also way over the top. My last 2 visits with my daughter cost more in snacks than it did for the tickets! The pros then. Well there are the ticket prices.... The deals on a Tuesday or Thursday and the member's card discount (free to join) are good and there will be many movies available for £3.00, which for a movie ticket these days is a steal! The range of snacks is really good as well, from hot dog (proper frankfurter), through popcorn, chocolates and a good pick n' mix to choose from. They also have good screening times and continue to show older movies that have been out a while longer than most others, I think they can due to the number of screens they have. The staff are also pretty nice and helpful and they do seem to run a few nice little events aimed at families. For example when we were there on one occasion they had a free to use bouncy castle and a petting zoo for the kids. I like this place, it still makes it feel like an event going to a movie here, but I would have to acknowledge I may look at the place through slightly rose tinted glasses. But with a tidy up I think it could quite easily be a good cinema in anyone's estimation!

Not going to lie, this was probably the most comfiest movie theatre experience I've ever had…read more My friend and I wanted to have one fun, relaxing evening on our trip. We asked the barista at a coffee shop down the street what some fun things to do around the area were and she pointed to this movie theatre and said that we could go see a movie and go bowling. So that's exactly what we did. The theatre is located in the upper level of a mall. The mall itself was completely dead and looked like it was going through some renovations. We made our way up the escalator and it led us directly to the theatre. You shouldn't get lost trying to find it. We bought tickets to the VIP screening of A Simple Favour, which also came with a drink and popcorn. For all of that it cost £15 per person. We made our way to the theatre and realized that we were sitting in large, comfy, recliner chairs. The ones you'd see in your grandpa's living room - except leather and more sleek. It felt like I was watching the movie from my own home! For a Friday night, the theatre was pretty empty. We were surprised that it was only us and two other women who ended up watching the movie. If I lived in Belfast, I'd definitely frequent this movie theatre, solely because of these large, comfy, recliner seats.

The SSE Arena - Belfast - stadiumsarenas - Updated May 2026

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