Days Out NI
Theatre & gallery Belfast

ICC Belfast (Waterfront Hall)

Belfast's big riverside concert hall, with family shows and an annual panto.

5 photos
Check what’s onOpen on event days; customer service desk…
TicketedShows & exhibitions
BelfastTheatre & gallery
Get directionsOfficial website
Allow an evening or afternoon for a show, plus time for parking and food nearbyHow long
TicketedAdmission
All agesBest for
On siteCafé
On siteParking

ICC Belfast (Waterfront Hall) — Belfast's big riverside concert hall, with family shows and an annual panto.

  • Admission: Ticketed venue, not a free gallery; you book for a specific show.
  • Tickets: Per show, sold through the website and box office; check current listings for prices.
  • For families: Annual Christmas pantomime, touring children's shows, plus relaxed, dementia-friendly and signed performances.
  • Opening: Open on event days; customer service desk staffed on event days. Check listings for show times.
  • Café: Bars and refreshments on event days; restaurants nearby in the city centre.
  • Best for: Family shows suit a wide range; sensory cooldown area caters for children up to age 6.
Plan your visit

What's on for families

The Waterfront isn't a gallery you wander into; it's a working theatre and concert hall, so families come for a specific show. Across the year you'll find children's television characters on tour, classic stories staged for kids, and the big annual Christmas pantomime that fills the place every December and January. Shows run in the main hall and in the smaller Waterfront Studio, which is a gentler space for younger audiences. Many family shows have a relaxed performance option, designed for families including children with autism or additional support needs, with a calmer atmosphere and freedom to move and make noise. Dementia-friendly and signed performances run too. Check the venue's own family listings for current titles, dates and prices.

Ticketed shows Annual panto Family shows Relaxed performances City centre Book ahead
Good to know before you go:

A venue like this runs a year-round programme of music, comedy, theatre and family shows, with the big pantomime at Christmas and relaxed performances dotted through the season. Titles, dates and prices change constantly, so check their own listings before you book.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🎟️Your bookingShows and big exhibitions sell out — book ahead where you can.
  • 💷A bit of pocket moneyFor the café, the shop or a show programme.
  • 🧒An eye on the age guidanceSome shows and galleries suit certain ages best — check first.
  • 📱The what’s-on pageThe programme changes all the time — see what is on the day you go.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Admission
Ticketed venue, not a free gallery; you book for a specific show
Tickets
Per show, sold through the website and box office; check current listings for prices
Family programming
Annual Christmas pantomime, touring children's shows, plus relaxed, dementia-friendly and signed performances
Best for ages
Family shows suit a wide range; sensory cooldown area caters for children up to age 6
Opening
Open on event days; customer service desk staffed on event days. Check listings for show times
Cafe
Bars and refreshments on event days; restaurants nearby in the city centre
Toilets
Accessible toilets on every floor plus a Changing Places facility in the Riverside Foyer
Parking
No on-site parking; two pay car parks adjacent at Lanyon Place and Oxford Street
Accessibility
Lifts to all levels, wheelchair spaces, hearing-assist Wi-Fi streaming, free essential companion tickets, NI Autism Impact Award, JAM Card friendly
How long to allow
Allow an evening or afternoon for a show, plus time for parking and food nearby
Address
2 Lanyon Place, Belfast, BT1 3WH
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to get in?
Ticketed venue, not a free gallery; you book for a specific show
How do I get tickets?
Per show, sold through the website and box office; check current listings for prices
Is there anything for kids?
Annual Christmas pantomime, touring children's shows, plus relaxed, dementia-friendly and signed performances
When is it open?
Open on event days; customer service desk staffed on event days. Check listings for show times
Is there a café?
Bars and refreshments on event days; restaurants nearby in the city centre
Getting there

ICC Belfast (Waterfront Hall) is at 2 Lanyon Place, Belfast, BT1 3WH. No on-site parking; two pay car parks adjacent at Lanyon Place and Oxford Street. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About the venue

The Waterfront Hall opened in 1997 as Belfast's flagship concert and conference venue, on the bank of the River Lagan at Lanyon Place. Its glass dome quickly became one of the city's landmark buildings.

A £29.5m redevelopment, funded by Belfast City Council, Tourism Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund, was completed in 2016, and the ICC Belfast conference brand launched in 2018. The venue now hosts hundreds of live events each year alongside its sister venue, the Ulster Hall.