Discover the Sounds of Belfast UNESCO City Of Music!
Belfast has recently been recognised as a UNESCO City of Music due to its rich heritage and many festivals that run throughout the year, covering every type of music in a wide variety of venues.
The city is celebrating those that are making a difference in music and culture. As well as artists like Van Morrison, there is female-empowered punk, new wave, Brit-nominated EDM, jazz and an abundance of classical and traditional musical talent and many events are completely free of charge. Enjoy local drinks and a bit of the famous Irish craic while mingling with locals.
Did you know that Led Zepplin first played Stairway to Heaven in the Ulster Hall ? Did you know that Oasis played a gig in the limelight the night before the launch of their first Album which launched them to stardom ? Would you like to see the many venues where Snow Patrol used to play before they were recognised as one of the best bands in world ? Would you like to wonder the Belfast streets that inspired Van Morrison’s lyrics ?
Oh Yeah, Music Centre hosts the award-winning Northern Ireland Music Exhibition. Creative tours led by Dolores of Creative tours walk you through cobbled alleyways, and past famous landmarks to explore unique bars filled with music-loving people. Visitors can hear all about Belfast's rich heritage, customs and history.
Classical Music is performed by NI Opera and Ulster Orchestra. Traditional music is 7 nights a week in the Sunflower Bar, Kellys Cellars, Maddens and The Points. There is even a harp festival.
The punk scene was very important in Belfast with bands such as Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones, the Outcasts and Rudy putting Belfast music on the world stage in the seventies and eighties. To really understand what it was really like we highly recommend watching the movie Good Vibrations. The story follows the life of Terri Hooley and how he became the Godfather of Punk and helped the Undertones to rise to fame. The movie is widely acclaimed by international reviewers.
See our Blog on walking tours to hear how you can hear all about music with specialised guides. https://www.chambersofdistinction.com/blog/wwwhiddenulstertourscom
