SOUND OF BELFAST RETURNS FOR 11 DAYS CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF THE CITY
5–15 November 2026
MORE INFO HERE: https://soundofbelfast.
Sound of Belfast returns from 5–15 November 2026, bringing together artists, venues and music communities for 11 days celebrating the people, stories and sounds that make Belfast a UNESCO City of Music.
Produced by the Oh Yeah Music Centre, the festival will spread across the city with live shows, album launches, exhibitions, anniversary performances, new collaborations and industry events.
The festival opens at Oh Yeah on Thursday 5 November with Alter Your Native Land: Punk in the North 1976–2026, a new photographic exhibition from music journalist, author and Oh Yeah co-founder Stuart Bailie, marking 50 years of punk in Northern Ireland. The launch features The Outcasts, Tramp and Éabha, with DJ sets from Terri Hooley and Stuart Bailie.
Anniversaries continue with the launch of Bap Kennedy: Dreams of a Boy, written by his wife Brenda Kennedy and marking 10 years since his passing. On 14 November, Duke Special celebrates 20 years of Songs From The Deep Forestat Mandela Hall, performing the album in full with special guests.
New for 2026 is the Budvar Music Trail, taking live music into venues across Belfast and encouraging audiences to discover artists and spaces along the way, with Piaras O’Lorcain, Rarewitch, Conor Mallon, Blackmoon Disco and Leo Miyagee among those performing.
New music also takes centre stage, with album launches from Alana Henderson and Ryan Vail, while VANTA returns with a new phase of the immersive audio-visual collaboration from Timmy Stewart & The Fully Automatic Model. There’s also the annual NI Music Prize, industry speed networking and producer meet-ups.
The festival closes on 15 November with The New Wave, featuring Gráinne Meyer and Atóg – an immersive reimagining of the traditional Irish session led by Hana Abri Smith.
Charlotte Dryden, CEO of Oh Yeah Music Centre, said:
“Sound of Belfast is about taking a moment every year to celebrate just how much music there is in this city – the artists making it now, the people and places that have shaped it, and the new generation coming through.
“This year we’ve taken a more focused approach, bringing together ideas from artists, venues and promoters to create a programme that reflects the strength of talent across the city. We’ve also offered a small number of bursaries to help artists develop or enhance new ideas.
“We’re celebrating 50 years of punk and albums that have become part of the story of the city, alongside brand new records, new collaborations and the new Budvar Music Trail. Belfast’s music story never stands still, and for 11 days we want to encourage people to get out, discover something new and celebrate the music of their city.”
Sound of Belfast runs from 5–15 November 2026.
Full programme and ticket information is available from Sound of Belfast and Oh Yeah Music Centre.
Sound of Belfast is supported by Belfast City Council, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts & Business, PRS for Music, PPL UK, IMRO, MCD, PRS Foundation, Noreast Beers, Destination CQ, Rio Ferdinand Foundation, Waterfront & Ulster Hall and Musicians’ Union.
For full details of events and tickets visit Sound of Belfast.
MORE INFO HERE: https://soundofbelfast.