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Ulster Hall

4.4 (22 reviews)

Ulster Hall Photos

Recommended Reviews - Ulster Hall

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Geraldine D.

As a venue this place is top notch. Convenient to local car parks and very near the centre of town it is easy to find both by car and by foot. I have been to many events in this amazing old hall from a Reef gig in which I got rather up close and personal with the lead singer (he fell on me after a stage dive went wrong) to a truly awful stand up night where we left early! The venue can host any type of event because of its unique size and acoustics. The giant organ and the impressive stage make the venue feel large but actually it has quite an intimate feel to it since they introduced the new seating area. I have one problem and that it when yo buy a drink at the very small over crowded bar you can't take it into the main hall - it has to be necked in the foyer. Other than that this place is ace!

Conor K.

I love this place. In terms of a live music venue, there are few better. The acoustics are incredible, from orchestras to rock bands the shows are always incredible. The best thing to see in the Ulster Hall by far, is the greatest sport of all time; boxing! The surroundings are just so unique when you think of the event that's taking place. It has a great tradition as a boxing venue, with European, Commonwealth, British and World titles being defended and won in this compact arena. It really is something you have to experience. Carl Frampton is fighting there in November, please get a ticket! I'll see you there!

Vivek T.

Just picked up tickets for Mr Omid Djalili and can't wait. The foyer is well laid out and contains lots of info. This place is great for architecture and has lots of information on its history.

This has got to be one of the best venues in Europe and I've been to quite a few. Along the lines of the Paradiso in Amsterdam or the Ambassador in Dublin this 'hall' is one of the most enjoyable environs to enjoy a gig. First off savour the massive musical history to the place...almost every rock legend has trodden the boards here...Led Zeppelin("Stairway To Heaven" got it's first airing here), AC/DC, Cream etc through the 'punk scene' with Motorhead, Siouxie And The Banshees, Stiff Little Fingers, the 80's with Rory Gallagher, Metallica and then into the 90's with Faith No More, Underworld, Manic Street Preachers and up to now with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Muse and most recently DJ Shadow. Secondly the setting is brilliant; with the high ceiling semi-circle balcony and glorious organ looming behind the stage it's one of those rare venues where every place you stand/sit is a great vantage point to enjoy the action onstage and off. Lastly, it's been given a major re-haul and re-opened to much acclaim in March of 2009. If your favourite band happens to be playing then this is the best way to see them. Pros: Great stage views, classy surroundings. Cons: Sound can be a bit hit and miss.

If I were to list all of the best concerts I'd been to in Belfast, most of them will probably have taken place in the Ulster Hall. Although Snow Patrol upstairs in Morrison's, years before they started churning out funereal rubbish like 'Run' might be in the top three. I have memories of my glasses flying off into the distance during a song called 'Black & Blue', and having some other happy pogo-ing idiot handing them back to me a couple of minutes later. Snow Patrol used to be fantastic, honestly. My first gig after the Ulster Hall had been reopened following extensive refurbishment saw me a bit worried. What had they done to the place? Thankfully, everything looked and sounded pretty much the same. As other reviewers have said, the sound is unparalleled. The stage is a perfect size and height so you get a good view of your heroes no matter where you are, and the floorboards still bend disconcertingly when everybody jumps in unison, leading you to wonder what would happen if we all went straight through. I've never sat through a gig in the balcony because I'm always here for rock gigs and like to be standing, but I imagine it'd be fantastic for a more sedately paced evening of Richard Clayderman, were he to play here and if that was your thing. A Belfast institution.

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11 years ago

Great venue although I didn't find staff very helpful and if you're going to see a popular band there's not a great area for queuing.

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15 years ago

Lovely building though acoustics are variable - under balcomoes it can sound odd! Lovely organ...

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15 years ago

i go here sometimes to watch boxing it is a great venue i would recommend it.

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Review Highlights - Ulster Hall

It's in a unique position in that it can play host to a set by DJ Shadow one night and then stage an Ulster Orchestra concert the next day.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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Lyric Theatre

Lyric Theatre

(13 reviews)

Queen Quarter

I am obsessed with theatre, in a Glen Close crazy kinda way. I'm also a little shocked at the lack…read moreof attention being given to the lyric. It is internationally renowned, the starting ground for many careers (such as Liam Neeson) and one of the most wonderful theatres I've been to. Currently being refurbished, the new theatre will have three performance spaces. It's difficult to review this, considering I have no crystal ball, however the plans and drawings on the lyrics website for the new theatre look impressive. This is not a theatre to be intimidated by; the staff are incredibly friendly and the bar is, as far as I can remember, reasonably priced. It's a nice excuse to get dressed up, but if you don't, well that's OK too. Ticket prices are normally around £10, which I think is pretty reasonable. The most recent productions I've seen at the Lyric, have been The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Miser. The former being one of my favourite productions and moreover my long suffering boyfriend liked it; he has never liked anything he has seen at the theatre and normally leaves cursing what we've seen and cursing me! The Lyric remains my favourite theatre in Northern Ireland, for classic and contemporary plays, surprises and a great night.

Dana Masters originally from South Carolina, has made Lisburn and Northern Ireland her home. In…read more2012 herself and Linley Hamilton had a weekly Jazz residence in McHugh's basement bar. Being a huge fan of Jazz Music, I was privileged to be at the very first performance and was blown away by the talent of Dana and the other musicians. There is only a few vocalists that makes the back of my neck tingle when listening to them and that's what makes them special and world class. I looked forward to going every Saturday, close my eyes and enjoy the music. It did not feel like I was in Belfast at all. Sometimes I even had to pinch myself as I listened to the sublime weekly performance. The news soon spread and McHughs Jazz sessions soon had a cult following of faithful fans and at times you couldn't get into the basement for the amount of people. In 2014, I was not surprised that 11,000 at Proms in the Park were all talking about Dana as performance of the night. We've adopted Dana Masters as one of Northern Ireland's top vocalists. "Dana Masters is one of those musicians and not only were we able to relax and enjoy the richness of her undeniably flawless voice, we were also treated to a showcase of some of the finest Jazz instrumentalists in the UK & Ireland." Jude Malone, GiggingNI.com More than 350 music fans gave Dana Masters and her band a standing ovation at the Lyric Theatre Belfast on Monday night. The performance included the old Civil Rights anthem 'A Change is Gonna Come', dedicating it to her mother, a strong supporter of Martin Luther King. Dana was accompanied by Linley Hamilton on trumpet, Johnny Taylor on keyboards, Paul Hamilton on drums, , Dave Howell on saxophone, Paddy Groenland, lead guitar and Charlie Foley, bass guitar. One of my favourite songs was the cover of John Legend's Ordinary People . The band played all five of the tracks on the EP - Motherless Child, My Funny Valentine, Blue Moon, Like a Star by Corinne Bailey Rae, finishing the set with a beautiful version of Charlie Chaplin's Smile. This was an amazing showcase for N.Ireland's jazz scene.

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...

Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival - Waiting on Booker T Jones...

Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival

(7 reviews)

The Cathedral Quarter

Not just for culture vultures, The Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (aka CQAF) is for everyone. It's…read morean annual celebration of visual art, comedy, theatre, music and literature. A lively and exciting festival with 150 events happening in 30 venues across Belfast but mainly concentrated in the Cathedral Quarter and Custom House Square. I absolutely love it and you'll find both popular and more obscure events happening. One of my favourites from a couple of years ago in 2014 was South Saharan band Tinariwen. A fabulous music concert and a band who I would never even have heard of if it weren't for CQAF. This year the 2016 program looks amazing and I'm already circling dates in my diary for the following events: ~ Vegstock, a vegetarian festival 02/05/2016 ~ Guy Garvey in concert 01/05/2016 ~ Ursula Burns, comedy harpist 04/05/2016 ~ Seeing Through Your Eyes: The Photographs of Peter Dressler 1972-2003, 01/04 - 14/05/2016 ~ Late Night Art Walking Tour 05/05/2016 ~ Monochrome in Cathedral Studios, 6 Artists respond to the theme 'monochrome' 05/05/2016 ~ Wet Plate portraits by Matthew Gordon and Jim Maginn 28/04 - 28/05/2016 ~ Rumpelstiltskin Revisited, knitted paintings by Jacqueline Wylie 29/04 - 10/06/2016 ~ The Death of Orpheus and Other Myths, screen prints by Leo Boyd 28/04 - 28/05/2016 There are a lot more events happening between 28 April and 8 May 2016, so go check the programme out online at http://cqaf.com/2016/

The Cathedral Quarter is a bit of a cultural monster in Belfast at the minute, and the Cathedral…read moreQuarter Arts Festival showcases the variety of arts on offer in Belfast to perfection. It's slightly less mainstream than the Belfast Festival at Queen's, so you might not recognise that many names when you go through the programme (I know I don't, anyway!), but don't let that put you off. Most of the events are very reasonably priced, so take a chance and go see a blues artist, or a stand-up you've never heard of, or a debate on modern architecture in Belfast - you might just be surprised! Belfast is fast becoming a city of festivals - we have one for everything! But the Cathedral Quarter has managed to separate itself from the crowd by providing a programme that is at once populist and alternative, providing support and inspiration for the arts in Belfast, and that can't be a bad thing, right?

Queens Film Theatre

Queens Film Theatre

(21 reviews)

Queen Quarter

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.

Custom House Square

Custom House Square

(8 reviews)

£

The Cathedral Quarter

It's only fair that I review Custom House Square on St Patrick's Day as this is the final…read moredestination for Belfast's Parade and Concert. This is the sort of thing that Custom House Square is renowned for, in recent years it has been the site some of Belfast's biggest concerts including Belsonic which comes around in August. The Square itself has a load of history and used to be Belfast's biggest market place, there is monuments on site to commemorate this rich history and I would highly recommend visiting the square even when there isn't any concerts/festivals on. The Square is easily accessible and open to the public all year round. McHughes Irish bar is looking on to the square so if you fancy a pint after your brief tour this is your place. Custom House Square is a definite 5 stars for me! It is a great open air concert venue, centrally located and is steeped in history, what's not to like?

This square has to be my fave part of downtown Belfast as there is a plethora of things to admire…read moreand gawk at, within a block's radius. Also two of Belfast's iconic public sculpture (The Big Fish & The Lady of Hope) are just around the corner! So this square makes for an amazing block of history jam packed within its radius. To start with, there is Speakers corner. This is similar to the one in Hyde Park and if you walk up to the former Customs House building, but now the Tax-man's office, there's a figure of a man dressed in a bowler hat from the 20's, one arm outstretched while the other holds a sheaf of papers tight clutched on his hands. Beautiful sculpture! Right next to the Speaker's Corner statue, is a blue plaque commemorating the fact that Anthony Trollope worked in this building in the post office. I didn't realize that Trollope had a Belfast connection, so this was a lovely surprise. Beyond these two, walking to the river is a fountain with inscription and it is one of the only cattle/ horse troughs of 21 which still remains standing. It commemorates Francis Calder, the gentleman who gave funds to have it built, and it shouldn't surprise anyone that he became a founding member of the RSPCA. The next two things on the boundary of the square are the dancing fountains and the Albert memorial clock. Our guide told us that the dancing fountains are an overground reminder of the little-known underground river which runs underneath the street and this river actually even gave Belfast its name, Béal feirste (the mouth of the Farset)! The Farset River actually ran past Customs house, into the river Lagan and do it made sense that the excise and customs building was originally built here to collect taxes from incoming ships. Really lovely place to have a wander about and appreciate all the bob n bits of Belfast. Note: #230 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

Ulster Hall - theater - Updated May 2026

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