Whether you were at the Led Zeppelin concert in 1971 at the Ulster Hall when the iconic ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was debuted or became the envy of your Instagram following at Lewis Capaldi’s gig in 2018, you will know better than most about that spine-tingling feeling live entertainment creates.
The Ulster Hall is one of the oldest purpose-built concert halls in the UK and Ireland and has been delivering prestigious events since 1862.
Did you know?
The grand Victorian building has survived two World Wars and welcomed names as famous as Charles Dickens and Snow Patrol.
The Ulster Hall has been the pulse of Belfast’s live entertainment scene and night-time economy for 159 years. If walls could talk, they would tell stories of Charles Dickens’ famous Christmas Carol reading, guitar melodies by rock-legends Red Hot Chilli Peppers and stunning performances by the Ulster Orchestra.
The Ulster Hall has had more birthdays than most, but this is its second birthday to witness silent entrances and hallways as live events remain on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, we’re still celebrating the Ulster Hall’s birthday and iconic identity by reminiscing the events passed, emotional connections and incredible #IWasThereWhen moments that have been created in the venue for years.
Throughout the Forties and Fifties, the Ulster Hall became Northern Ireland’s premier boxing venue. Many homegrown champions lit up the boxing ring, while international boxing legends like World Heavyweight Champion, Sonny Liston, traded blows with our local stars. More recently, the flame has been relit and the venue has played host to internationally broadcast boxing fights, such as Carl Frampton’s win of the Celtic title in December 2010, with the venue being noted as unrivalled and atmospheric among boxing fans.
The Ulster Hall is #WhereLegendsAreMade
Since the Sixties, the Ulster Hall has been Northern Ireland’s spiritual home of rock music, hosting an almost endless list of famous names that has included U2, Coldplay, Thin Lizzy, The Clash, The Rolling Stones, Muse, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves, The Who, AC/DC and many more.
The Ulster Hall is a special place for audiences and artists alike. Many artists have made an emotional connection to the venue and to the legendary Belfast audience.
“I heard live music for the first time ever in the Ulster Hall, it was the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, I just knew that I wanted to perform on the Ulster Hall stage after that.” Gary Lightbody, Snow Patrol
Events held here create the deepest of emotional connections as you are the closest you will ever feel to an artist as they perform in an intimate setting.
In what has been a difficult 14 months for the live events industry, it wasn’t all doom and gloom as the venue entered a new era with a brand-new digital entertainment experience which launched in December 2020. The Live from the Ulster Hall digital series saw virtual audiences tune in from all over the globe, including Australia, Japan, South Africa, Netherlands and more to bring a touch of home to their corner of the world for the night. The series showcased Northern Ireland’s biggest and brightest talents, including Ryan McMullan.
