Belfast’s Streets Come Alive with Music This December
Under a Christmas Sky
Belfast City Council and Snow Water will be showcasing a magical programme of free live Christmas music events every weekend until 21st December 2025, celebrating Belfast’s status as a UNESCO City of Music. 20 days of fabulous performances featuring traditional and contemporary festive favourites, memorable experiences to lift your spirits, leading soloists to plenty of sing-along moments with choirs, it’s the ultimate way to celebrate the season!
Curated by Snow Water, its Director Carolyn Mathers commented “Snow Water marks its 10th anniversary this year so we’re excited to be showcasing some of our finest musicians – from choirs to brass bands, from NI Music Prize winners to jazz orchestras, from opera to our singer-songwriters, from trad groups to carol singers – we hope to bring a little joy, a little beauty and a little magic to the days leading up to Christmas.”
Highlights include:
– A Christmas Sing-Along of seasonal tunes and carols with the award-winning NI Opera (lyrics provided!)
– A host NI Music Prize nominees and winners, including Taylor Lally, Tessio, Sasha Samara and Rory Nellis plus Oh Yeah Music Centre Scratch artists Aqua Tofana, Sophie French and Charlie Hanlon.
– Enchanting professional soloists Petra Wells, Rachael Heater and Dessie Havlin and the Chordblossom Christmas Showcase
– Carols from the award-winning Downshire Brass Band, jazz trios, concert bands, harpists, fiddle players and dancers from Trim the Velvet and the Avenue Arts Academy dancers.
– A host of choirs including the Belfast Musical Theatre Choir, the 80 strong Hazelwood Integrated School Choir and Belfast’s oldest choir, Renaissance Chamber who will be celebrating their 50th anniversary next year. The finale will be a performance from the Belfast Community Gospel Choir at Grand Central Station (fresh from their sell-out performance at the Waterfront Hall).
Expect songs by Darlene Love, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, Taylor Swift’s Christmas Tree Farm, Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas, to carols so traditional and timeless such as ‘Silent Night’, which are as festive as mince pies!
Performances will take place at outdoor locations across the City Centre, including City Hall, Grand Central Station and Royal Avenue, every Thursday and Friday from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and every Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 5pm – all admission free!
For full timetable details, check out https://www.belfastcity.
SNOW WATER
Snow Water (named by kind permission of Michael Longley) was set up ten years ago to celebrate the finest artistic talent NI has to offer and to showcase artistic excellence internationally. Carolyn Mathers has received Tourism NI Cultural Innovation awards for founding ‘Late Night Art’, for Belfast Music Week with the MTV EMAs and the Atlantic Sessions Music Festival. The team delivered Distant Sky Festivals across NI, programming at the Belfast Maritime Festival, the ‘Omagh Bluegrass’ 30th Anniversary Festival, ‘Live at the Waterfront’ – a landmark concert showcasing Northern Ireland’s musical and artistic talent which was broadcast on Sky Arts, six ‘Atlantic Sessions’ Music Festivals on the North Coast, Hay Festival in Belfast, ‘Folk Park Live: 300 years of NI music’ permanent tour, 120 music events during ‘The Open’ Portrush and ‘Under a Christmas Sky’ at the Folk Museum. 2026 will see a series of music and literature events to mark their 10th anniversary. @snowwaterni
BELFAST CITY COUNCIL
Under a Christmas Sky is part of Belfast City Council’s Christmas programme of events across December. Highlights include the Christmas Market, Winter’s Den at 2 Royal Avenue which has been transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland, with crafting workshops, silent discos, carol singing, Santa’s Post Office, the Crufty Christmas Fashion Show on Sunday 7 December, showcasing seasonal canine fashions on the catwalk, pop-up performances and walkabout performers across the city centre. This year the Council have supported Translink’s new nighttime bus service, extended Christmas lighting further into Ann Street, Arthur Street, Bank Square and Bridge Street, and there’s a huge range of music, pantomimes, comedy and art events to enjoy across the city.
