Days Out NI
Theatre & gallery Belfast

The MAC Belfast

Free galleries, ticketed shows and year-round family workshops in the Cathedral Quarter.

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OpenTuesday to Sunday from 9am; galleries 11a…
FreeBook ahead
BelfastTheatre & gallery
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2 hoursHow long
FreeAdmission
Works for prima…Best for
On siteCafé
NearbyParking

The MAC Belfast — Free galleries, ticketed shows and year-round family workshops in the Cathedral Quarter.

  • Admission: Galleries free to enter (donations welcomed).
  • Tickets: Theatre shows and some workshops are ticketed and priced per event; book ahead via the MAC's listings.
  • For families: Year-round children's workshops most months (booked and drop-in), family shows and panto at Christmas.
  • Opening: Tuesday to Sunday from 9am; galleries 11am to 5pm, later on show nights.
  • Café: Cafe bar open Tue-Sun from 9am, children's menu; kitchen closes 3.30pm, drinks and snacks to 5pm.
  • Best for: Works for primary-age children upwards; child ticket covers under-16s, under-12-month babies free.
Plan your visit

What families get to see and do

The three galleries are free to enter and change through the year, so the contemporary art on the walls gives children something to react to without a ticket. The two theatres carry the ticketed side of the programme: drama, dance, touring productions, family shows and panto at Christmas. Across the year the MAC's Creative Learning programme runs children's workshops most months, some booked and some drop-in, exploring mediums from ceramics to animation to theatre. There is a free family room in the building, and a child's ticket covers anyone aged 15 and under, with babies under 12 months going free. Check the MAC's own listings for current shows, workshops, dates and prices.

Free galleries Family shows Kids workshops Cafe bar Cathedral Quarter Book ahead for shows
Good to know before you go:

Venues like the MAC run year-round seasons of theatre, changing exhibitions, family shows and children's workshops, with panto at Christmas. Galleries are free to walk in; shows and some workshops are ticketed and priced per event. Check their own listings for dates and prices.

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
Galleries free to enter (donations welcomed)
Tickets
Theatre shows and some workshops are ticketed and priced per event; book ahead via the MAC's listings
Family programming
Year-round children's workshops most months (booked and drop-in), family shows and panto at Christmas
Best for ages
Works for primary-age children upwards; child ticket covers under-16s, under-12-month babies free
Opening
Tuesday to Sunday from 9am; galleries 11am to 5pm, later on show nights
Cafe
Cafe bar open Tue-Sun from 9am, children's menu; kitchen closes 3.30pm, drinks and snacks to 5pm
Toilets
Yes, on site, with a free family room
Parking
Saint Anne's Square multi-storey car park on Edward Street, beside the MAC, open 24 hours
Accessibility
Lifts to all levels; front-of-house team trained to provide additional assistance
How long to allow
About 1 to 2 hours for the galleries and cafe, longer with a show or workshop
Address
10 Exchange Street West, Belfast BT1 2NJ
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to get in?
Galleries free to enter (donations welcomed)
How do I get tickets?
Theatre shows and some workshops are ticketed and priced per event; book ahead via the MAC's listings
Is there anything for kids?
Year-round children's workshops most months (booked and drop-in), family shows and panto at Christmas
When is it open?
Tuesday to Sunday from 9am; galleries 11am to 5pm, later on show nights
Is there a café?
Cafe bar open Tue-Sun from 9am, children's menu; kitchen closes 3.30pm, drinks and snacks to 5pm
Getting there

The MAC Belfast is at 10 Exchange Street West, Belfast BT1 2NJ. Saint Anne's Square multi-storey car park on Edward Street, beside the MAC, open 24 hours. Tap below for directions.

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Nearby

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The story

About the venue

The MAC, short for Metropolitan Arts Centre, opened on 20 April 2012 in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. The building was designed by Belfast firm Hackett Hall McKnight, with intersecting brick volumes and a basalt tower topped with three storeys of glazing, and it won a 2013 RIBA National Award and the 2014 Downes Medal from the Architectural Association of Ireland.

The MAC is open 363 days a year and presents visual art, theatre, dance and family workshops under chief executive Anne McReynolds. It has welcomed several million visitors since opening and was shortlisted for the 2015 Museum of the Year prize.

The building holds one permanent artwork, The Permanent Present by Irish artist Mark Garry, made of 400 coloured copper strands and commissioned jointly with the Thomas Devlin Fund.