Belfast Music Walking Tour
Full description
Included / Excluded
- professional and qualified guide
- Access to hard to find places
- gratuities
Itinerary
Gain special entry to visit a Victorian Music Hall, hear about some of the great gigs and concerts that have taken place here; enjoy its architecture, and see 'behind the scenes' to exit through the stage door artists use.
Enjoy the splendid architecture and grounds of Belfast City Hall, and hear fascinating stories about some of the historic gigs that have taken place on the grounds. Hear about the City's Music Ambassadors, appointed since it became a UNESCO City of Music and cities it is twinned with around the world. Hear clips of music by the ambassadors and the only musician to be awarded the honor of Freedom of the City.
View one of the oldest buildings on the street (1791) and hear of the times it contained a dance hall up to the 1950s. Hear music from a Belfast blues and jazz legend of the 50s and her story.
Opened as an impressive bank in the 1860s, the group visits a new cultural center in Belfast, hearing what takes place here and about what it means for Belfast to be one of 60 UNESCO cities of Music worldwide.
The group visits one of the oldest pubs in Belfast, 1720, to hear about Irish Traditional Music and its links with this part of the city. Folk and traditional music by several of the city's rising stars is played.
The group visits the oldest church building in Belfast. Seated inside they hear about the Ulster Scots heritage, harp music, choirs, and NI Opera, with tracks played.
The guide shares the story of how this oldest public building, 1769, was the location for an important music festival in 1792, playing music tracks
Looking at Bert's Jazz Bar, the group heard about the jazz scene in Belfast and some of its past and present stars
In this open-air square guests hear about a range of annual outdoor music festivals that take place here and nearby, including the electronic music scene and some of the city's best-known DJs and composers
Guests see the city's museum and information center focused on the Ulster-Scots heritage. They hear about the Lambeg drum, marching bands, and the most successful musicians to emerge from this scene, including flutist Sir James Galway.
At several stops in the Cathedral Quarter, Belfast's buzzing cultural area, guests hear about the punk scene of the late 70s and today, see where Snow Patrol first performed in Belfast, see several cool contemporary music venues and a popular recording studio, with a link to history in its unusual name!
The tour includes a visit to Belfast's contemporary music scene hub. Hear how it was set up, the festivals, talent development, and all-ages music support programs it runs, plus the annual NI Music Prize. Guests are guided around the NI Music Exhibition housed there and some tours include a private performance by a local rising star!
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Stroller Accessible
- Service Animals Allowed
- Easy Public Transport
Traveler reviews
Enjoyed the history and...
Enjoyed the history and social commentary about the music scene in Belfast. Delores led a pleasant and informative walk through musical sites.
To approach the soul of Belfast
Great presentation of Belfast’s musical richness through an afternoon walk. A beautiful discovery of places and personalities that give the city its creative energy, again and again. The tour ended with a performance by a young artist at the Oh Yeah Center. Thanks to our guide, Dolores who shared his passion.
Belfast Has the Reason!
I took the Belfast Punk Music Walking Tour-can't recommend it enough. You don't need to know anything about Belfast's music scene but I went in with some background and still got tons of great info& learned so much because the tour was given by someone who was there-the lovely Delores-who not only uses her personal insight and connections to enrich the tour but plenty of research as well. The walking is easy (I have a bad knee that didn't play up at all), well-paced and we stopped to rest for a drink, a break& convo. Dolores creates a great environment so this was an absolute pleasure rather than a pause in action. You get a look in to the history but also the present state of Belfast's collectives& music scenes. You get a sense of the city itself-how it looked then, what used to be and what's taking shape/being built up now. Many of the stops we made were at places I immediately put on my list to revisit; 2.5 hrs flew by. Music was played, bands were referenced and we were given cards with Spotify lists so we could keep listening. Will definitely take others on this tour, keep recommending and hope to take another tour with Creative Tours Belfast next time I'm town:)