2nd September, 2026
From theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions and more, here's your guide to what's on in the arts...
Bounce Arts Festival: returns from 30 Sep – 4 Oct under the theme of ‘Arts and Activism’. Highlights include:
Visit https://universityofatypical.o...
Culture Night Belfast: Fri 18 Sep. Culture Night is an all-Ireland celebration demonstrating the benefits that arts and culture can bring to society. The popular one-night-only annual event will feature over 100 free, family-friendly, and community-driven events across Belfast. View the full programme at https://www.maywe.co.uk/cultur...
Culture Night Derry~Londonderry: Fri 18 Sep. Prepare for a cultural explosion and a feast of events to celebrate 2026’s Culture Night across the city and district. Derry and Strabane will join with villages, towns and cities across the island of Ireland to host a celebration of arts with an abundance of vibrant and exciting events over one wonderful evening. Visit https://www.facebook.com/Derry...
Belfast International Arts Festival: The Festival returns for its 64th edition from 14 October – 8 November 2026. With over 200 events across 30 venues, the Festival is delighted to once again celebrate the very best in Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual Arts and Literature — alongside, for the first time, their new Immersive Arts strand. Visit https://belfastinternationalartsfestival.com/
Belfast Music Society/ Northern Lights Music Fest:
Visit https://www.belfastmusicsociet...
City of Derry International Choir Festival: has unveiled an exciting programme for its 2026 festival, promising four unforgettable days of world-class performances, international competition and the very best of choral music from 22–25 October 2026. Visit www.derrychoirfest.com
University of Atypical: present Sounds Atypical event series. The Sounds Atypical grant programme supports and promotes access to music for artists and audiences who are d/Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent within UNESCO City of Music, Belfast. Upcoming events include:
Young at Art: presents Baby Rave, 18 October, Crescent Arts Centre. The original and ravers’ favourite, Baby Rave. Boogie to a soundtrack of dance classics from the 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties specially curated by Young at Art resident DJ Venus Dupree. Baby Rave is a participatory dance event for children under 4 and their grownups - this event is for children under 4 years, and is not suitable for older siblings. Visit https://youngatart.co.uk/baby-...
DU Dance: has a number of classes available for young people, all abilities welcome. Visit https://www.dudanceni.com/news...
Accidental Theatre: presents a varied programme of comedy, live music, theatre, workshops and other cultural events, inviting audiences to enjoy great entertainment, good vibes and good company.
Lyric Theatre: presents their spring and summer programme with highlights including:
View the full autumn/winter programme at www.lyrictheatre.co.uk
The Playhouse in Derry-Londonderry: presents,
NATALIA BEYLIS - AROUND HERE, THE BIRDS PLANT THE TREES, 3rd Sep
Visit www.derryplayhouse.co.uk
Linen Hall Library: Founded in 1788, it is the oldest library in Belfast. Linen Hall Library offers a year-round programme of arts and cultural events featuring authors, academics, historians, performers, and much more. Visit www.linenhall.com
Millennium Forum Derry-Londonderry: presents music, comedy, theatre and more with highlights including:
The Millennium Forum also has a number of regular accessible events including:
View all events at www.millenniumforum.co.uk
THE MAC: presents a fantastic programme of theatre, comedy music and talks with highlights including:
For all this and more visit www.themaclive.com
Crescent Arts Centre: presents a series of language, visual arts, craft, music, dance classes, and more plus workshops and events. Visit www.crescentarts.org for details.
Seamus Heaney HomePlace: has launched their programme for 2026. Visit https://seamusheaneyhome.com/u...
Strand Arts Centre: Silver Screenings at Belmont Bowling Club, every Thursday at 2pm.
Visit www.strandartscentre.com
Northern Ireland Opera: presents,
Visit www.niopera.com for more information on all events.
Moving on Music: presents,
Visit www.movingonmusic.com
Belfast Music Society/ Northern Lights Music Fest:
Visit https://www.belfastmusicsociety.org/
City of Derry International Choir Festival:
has unveiled an exciting programme for its 2026 festival, promising four unforgettable days of world-class performances, international competition and the very best of choral music from 22–25 October 2026. Visit www.derrychoirfest.com
Portico of Ards, Portaferry: presents,
Visit https://www.porticoards.com/wh...
Ulster Orchestra:
The Ulster Orchestra’s 2026/27 Season is now on sale. Full details of all concerts visit www.ulsterorchestra.org.uk/wha...
Oh Yeah Centre Belfast: The NI Music exhibition at Oh Yeah is the only permanent exhibit for popular music in Northern Ireland. There is much to see, including a series of storyboards documenting and plotting the history and the stories of Folk, Punk, Rock, Jazz and more. Visit www.ohyeahbelfast.com for this and all events.
The Black Box: presents a varied programme of music, comedy, street art tours and other arts events. For further information visit www.blackboxbelfast.com
Stage Beyond: presents The Caucasian Chalk Circle, 4 Oct, the MAC (part of Bounce Arts Festival). Stage Beyond Theatre Company brings its powerful production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle to Bounce, following a widely acclaimed regional tour at venues including The Playhouse, Derry, An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny, and Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo. Stage Beyond is an award-winning theatre company for adults with learning difficulties. Visit https://www.stagebeyond.com/
Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin, Derry~Londonderry: programme highlights include,
Visit https://www.culturlann.org/eve...
In Your Space Circus: is offering KIDS' AERIAL CLASSES across a 4-week aerial course for kids aged 6-8 and 9-12 years. Cost: £40. Aerial classes take place at the Glassworks, Derry. New members are welcome, but places are very limited, so get in QUICK to avoid disappointment!! All classes can be booked at: https://bookwhen.com/inyourspa...
Circusful:
No matter your age or experience — Circusful has something for everyone!
Visit www.circusful.org
Duncairn: presents live music with highlights including,
The Duncairn also has a range of workshops and craft classes and courses. For further details and to view the full programme of events visit www.theduncairn.com
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich: presents,
For this and more visit www.culturlann.ie
Greater Shantallow Community Arts: presents Spill The Tae Youth Led Podcast from the young people at Studio2/GSCA. This amazing group of creative young people have launched their very own podcast and it can be found on Spotify or Apple Podcast.
Eden Place Arts Centre: in Derry-Londonderry has an exciting range of courses including wood sculpture, Inner Landscapes, Abstract Art, Ceramics, Painting for Beginners, Contemporary Botanical Watercolours, Landscape Painting Life Painting, Spinning and Weaving plus Portrait Painting, among others. All courses are designed for adults aged 18+. Visit www.edenplaceartscentre.com
WheelWorks Arts: presents,
ArtCart: Unique to WheelWorks Arts (WWA) is their ArtCart community engagement and outreach programme, which brings creative and artistic activities to your community. Visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com or email [email protected]
TS3 Programme: The Tech Studio Skills Share (TS3 programme) offers training to help young people improve their skills in digital communication. For further information, visit https://www.wheelworksarts.com
Streetwise Community Circus: Learn how to juggle and other circus skills at Streetwise’s weekly classes. For info email Streetwise on [email protected] suitable for all ages. https://www.sccni.co.uk/
R-Space: Visit https://www.rspacelisburn.com/...
The MAC Belfast: presents,
Visit www.themaclive.com
Craft NI Gallery: presents, A Thirst for Silver, a major exhibition of contemporary silver, 3 Sep – 31 Oct. Presented by Contemporary British Silversmiths, the leading organisation dedicated to contemporary silver in the United Kingdom, this major exhibition of contemporary silver brings together the work of more than fifty silversmiths from across the UK. Visit www.craftni.org
Seacourt Print Workshop: Seacourt is a friendly open-access print workshop based in the seaside town of Bangor, Northern Ireland. They offer membership, courses and resources for all, as well as our self-arranged residency programme and exhibitions. Visit https://seacourtprintworkshop....
Queen Street Studios:
Visit https://www.queenstreetstudios...
Golden Thread Gallery: Belfast's leading contemporary art gallery, located at 23-29 Queen Street, BT1 6EA. Free Entry.
SECTARIAN MURDER SERIES Paul Seawright, 12 Sep – 31 Oct, Upper Gallery. The exhibition presents Paul Seawright’s iconic Sectarian Murder series, which revisits sites of sectarian killings in Belfast through understated photographs and edited newspaper reports, exploring the enduring legacy of violence, memory, and identity during the Troubles.
NEW WORK by John Carson, 12 Sep – 31 Oct. Lower Gallery. NEW WORK brings together three new film projects that examine cultural connections between Ireland and the United States through Carson’s distinctive blend of storytelling, historical inquiry and wit.
Golden Thread Gallery also has a range of other events on including: Mindful Colouring Drop-In Workshops (ages 18+). No booking required, just drop in!
For all of the above, and more https://goldenthreadgallery.co...
PS2/Paragon Studios:
Hiraeth, PS², 31 - 35 High Street, BT1 2AB, Eslam Abd El Salam. Hireath is a collection of prose, imagery and objects that morphs into an installation about and for home. Work in progress that forms a wider investigation about displacement, care, distance and belonging. Hiraeth is a Welsh word that describes a deep, bittersweet longing for home, time or place to which you can never return - or one that may never have existed. Eslam is an artist from Cairo, now based in Belfast. www.pssquared.org
Belfast Exposed: presents
Studio Gallery: Chaos Stadt (Chaos City), 9-12 Sep
Streetview: Resilience: Past, Present and Future, 2-26 Sep
Gallery 1: Legacy, 3-26 Sep
Gallery 2: Borrowed Land by Rosalind Lowry, 3-26 Sep
Belfast Exposed also offers a range of summer schemes, photography and videography training courses. Visit www.belfastexposed.com
VOID Art Centre: presents,
Animale, a solo exhibition by Hanna Tuulikki, 4 Jul – 5 Sep. Across works Deer Dancer (2019), cloud-cuckoo-island (2016) and Seahorse (2026), Hanna uses vocal performance, costume and cinematic embodiment to reimagine masculinity as a performed and mutable condition, reframed through animal behaviour, myth and ecological relation. Visit www.derryvoid.com
CCA: presents Christopher Steenson’s solo exhibition All I see is the present, 19 June – 12 Sep. For this exhibition the artist combines sound photography, installation and archival material to explore the ways in which moments from prehistory can be used as a gateway to the present.
The Night Journal Exhibition, 3 Oct – 19 Dec. The Night Journal is an exhibition considering constructed realities of the night by four, intergenerational artists working in Northern Ireland. These four vantage points feature new and existing work including print, drawing, installation, film and a new text by Michaela Razafima Nash. Written from the perspective of an insomnia-driven walk, the journal encounters the different artists’ worlds in a haze of sodium lit grit and fantasy. Visit www.ccadld.org for more details.
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