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.

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.

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.

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.

Came in on a Tuesday and enjoyed the World Cup projected on the big screen. Drinks specials were…read moregreat and it looked like $5 pizza was an option which is hard to beat. When I'm back in town, I'll be sure to come back by.

We saw a local band, Now the 90s in September 2023. The venue opened at 8:30pm, and the band went…read moreon at 10:30pm. The venue is not too small but intimate, no bad vantage points for seeing a show. A little too crowded for my preference though. While waiting for the band, they played some 90s hits, you know - Britney Spears, NSYNC, blink-182, etc. There were a few songs that us Americans didn't recognize (clearly very British) but we had a great time and danced along. It got really crowded before the band went on (sold out show)! And once the band did go on, we didn't know any of the first 3 songs... But eventually recognized some global pop songs.

Great space used for lots of activities. It's a community space that groups meet in for various…read moreactivities; play group,arts classes etc. They have a brochure of workshops. Different size spaces that you can hire out. There is also a play group located here. There's a coffee shop too.

The Duncairn centre is a beautiful centre filled with some amazing pieces of art and even a…read moreresident artist and sculptor . A warm and relaxing cafe is the perfect place for a coffee and lunch. At night the gigs have some of the best traditional Irish bands you could see, all in a great atmosphere and a better crowd of people. On top of that there are classes including Irish language and photography. The must see thing in North Belfast.

Nicknamed 'the balls on the falls' is a very impressive structure, you get a great view of it…read morewhilst on the hop on hop off bus. Be great to see it at night.

In Belfast, where dreams rise high, Two spheres embrace the…read moresky, A dance of peace in metal's gleam, Reflecting hopes, a city's dream. The Irish love to give nicknames and the Belfast Rise Sculpture has not managed to avoid that fate. Affectionately known as "The Balls on the Falls," it symbolizes hope and renewal. This massive geodesic dome structure is located at the Broadway Roundabout and I spotted it while driving south on the Westlink. It was designed by Wolfgang Buttress and is a geodesic sphere suspended inside a larger sphere. It is a beacon of peace and progress, composed of thousands of metal bars forming two interlocking spheres, and it's mesmerizing. It's also the largest public art sculpture in the city. [Review 1916* of 2024 - 893 in United Kingdom - 22938 overall] *1916 was the year of the Easter Rising, the most significant uprising of Irish revolutionaries since 1798.

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.