Days Out NI
Music & arts centre Belfast

The Black Box

Independent Cathedral Quarter arts venue where an £8 gig, a free open mic and a céilí all land in the same week.

5 photos
Green Room Bar op…Green Room Bar opens 5pm daily; event tim…
£7.50Families welcome by day
BelfastMusic & arts centre
Get directionsOfficial website
£7.50Tickets
Arts centreAll ages by day
Families OKDaytime
Drinks onlyFood
City centreParking

The Black Box — Independent Cathedral Quarter arts venue where an £8 gig, a free open mic and a céilí all land in the same week.

  • Who it's for: grown-ups and older teens mostly, evenings only from 5pm; some events are all-ages, always check the specific listing.
  • Music: live music across genres, DJs, céilís, plus theatre, film, comedy and spoken word.
  • Tickets: many events £7.50 to £17, Open Mic free; ticketed in advance for most shows.
  • When: Green Room Bar opens 5pm daily; event times vary.
  • Accessibility: accessibility information published in the venue FAQ; Gig Buddies scheme runs here.
Plan your visit

What's actually on

The Black Box splits its programme into eleven strands, including Black Box Originals, comedy, DJs, festivals, film, fundraisers, live music, queer events, theatre and spoken word, and visual arts. Shows run in the main Black Box room and the smaller Green Room. Recent and upcoming 2026 dates give you the flavour: a Touzai fundraiser at £8, the free Black Box Open Mic, Belfast Tradfest's Big Queer Céilí at £7.50, Bob Log III at £17, and a Hot Ghoul Summer fundraiser from £7.50. Prices like that are the venue's whole personality.

Tickets frequently under £10 Free monthly Open Mic Green Room Bar with live performances Programme spans music, theatre, film, comedy and spoken word Grade II listed 1850s building Gig Buddies access scheme
Good to know before you go:

Something is on most nights of the week, and the venue is a regular host during Belfast's festival weeks including Belfast Tradfest. Fundraisers and one-off collaborations fill the gaps between touring shows.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🎶An ear for a tuneTraditional sessions are free to sit in on — you just find a seat and listen.
  • 🕑An eye on the timeAfternoon sessions suit families; most rooms turn over-18s later in the evening.
  • 💷A bit of cashFor food, and for the hat if the musicians pass one round.
  • 📱The what’s-on pageSession nights and gigs move around — check before you travel.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
independent not-for-profit arts venue and bar
Who it's for
grown-ups and older teens mostly, evenings only from 5pm; some events are all-ages, always check the specific listing
Music
live music across genres, DJs, céilís, plus theatre, film, comedy and spoken word
Tickets
many events £7.50 to £17, Open Mic free; ticketed in advance for most shows
When
Green Room Bar opens 5pm daily; event times vary
Accessibility
accessibility information published in the venue FAQ; Gig Buddies scheme runs here
Parking
city-centre parking in the Cathedral Quarter, none at the venue
Address
18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA
Questions

Before you go

Can we bring the kids?
grown-ups and older teens mostly, evenings only from 5pm; some events are all-ages, always check the specific listing
What's the music like?
live music across genres, DJs, céilís, plus theatre, film, comedy and spoken word
Do I need a ticket?
many events £7.50 to £17, Open Mic free; ticketed in advance for most shows
When is it on?
Green Room Bar opens 5pm daily; event times vary
Getting there

The Black Box is at 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA. city-centre parking in the Cathedral Quarter, none at the venue. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around BelfastSee what else is close by More live music across NISessions, gigs and music centres
The story

A Bass warehouse that survived the Blitz

The building on Hill Street went up around 1850 and was refronted in 1871. It is Grade II listed. Before it was an arts venue it did various commercial jobs, including a spell as a Bass brewery warehouse, and it came through the Belfast Blitz of 1941 still standing.

The Black Box opened here in 2006 and is a registered charity, number NIC100983, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council. It works as an incubation space, which is why so much of the programme is work you will not see anywhere else.