Produced by Oh Yeah Music Centre, the festival runs across venues citywide with 50 years of punk, album launches, anniversary shows and a brand new Budvar Music Trail.
Sound of Belfast returns for 11 days, running Thursday November 5th to Sunday November 15th, bringing together artists, venues and music communities to celebrate Belfast’s status as a UNESCO City of Music.
Produced by the Oh Yeah Music Centre, the festival spreads across the city with live shows, album launches, exhibitions, anniversary performances, new collaborations and industry events.
At a glance
- Thursday November 5th – Festival opens at Oh Yeah with Alter Your Native Land: Punk in the North 1976–2026, featuring The Outcasts, Tramp and Éabha, plus DJ sets from Terri Hooley and Stuart Bailie
- Monday November 9th – Launch of Bap Kennedy: Dreams of a Boy, with author Brenda Kennedy and Ralph McLean, marking 10 years since his passing, The Black Box
- Throughout the festival – The new Budvar Music Trail, including Tessio & Piaras O’Lorcain (Nov 7), Rarewitch (Nov 8), Blackmoon (Nov 10), Cora Harkin and Conor Mallon & Dara Dubh (both Nov 12), Robocobra Quartet’s ‘Hundred Pieces’ listening party (Nov 12) and Mark Hegan (Nov 14)
- Wednesday November 11th – Northern Ireland Music Prize, Ulster Hall
- Friday November 13th – Alana Henderson’s Fine album launch, Harland & Wolff Staff Club, and Ryan Vail’s After Hours album launch at a secret location, BBC Introducing and Shine new music showcase at Ulster Sports Club.
- Saturday November 14th – Duke Special performs Songs From The Deep Forest in full for its 20th anniversary, with special guests, Mandela Hall
- Saturday November 14th – VANTA: Where Sound & Light Unfold, Phase 2, Oh Yeah Music Centre
- Sunday November 15th – Festival closes with The New Wave, featuring Gráinne Meyer and Atóg, led by Hana Abri Smith, Oh Yeah Music Centre
The festival opens at Oh Yeah on Thursday November 5th 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 on Monday November 9th at The Black Box, written by his wife Brenda Kennedy and marking 10 years since his passing. On Saturday November 14th, Duke Special celebrates 20 years of Songs From The Deep Forest at Mandela Hall, performing the album in full with special guests.
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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 throughout the festival, 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 both landing on Friday November 13th, while VANTA returns with a new phase of its immersive audio-visual collaboration with Timmy Stewart & The Fully Automatic Model on Saturday November 14th. The programme also includes the Northern Ireland Music Prize at Ulster Hall on Wednesday November 11th, alongside industry speed networking and producer meet-ups.
The festival closes on Sunday November 15th 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 each year to celebrate how much music exists in the city, the artists making it now, the people and places that shaped it, and the generation coming through. She said this year’s edition takes a more focused approach, built from ideas brought together across artists, venues and promoters, with a small number of bursaries also offered to help artists develop new work. Between 50 years of punk, landmark albums, brand new records and the new Budvar Music Trail, she said Belfast’s music story never stands still, and the 11 days are a chance to get out and discover something new.
Full programme and ticket information is available via soundofbelfast.com 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.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
