Ulster Hall

Health & Safety risk at the Ulster Hall Do not attend a standing gig at the Ulster Hall if you suffer from a respiratory illness, asthma or have cardiac problems. This venue is an accident waiting to happen! With almost 2,000 people attending the Anastasia 25yr anniversary European tour, you would imagine in the 21st century that you would be able to breathe air at the venue.... NOPE! This would not be the case at the Ulster Hall! The Grand Hall was like a sauna with the doors closed. 'NO AIRCON in the building' we were repeatedly told by staff. Plus, security refused to open the side doors to try and ventilate the room despite numerous pleas. The audience had to cool off in the toilets and outside the front door. Everyone was complaining that they couldn't breathe. If this can happen from clapping, what must it be like if people are dancing? Staff refused to heed the warnings. Sure enough, before 10pm the Paramedics had to be called to help a woman who had collapsed. She was lying on the floor against a wall in front of the bar. No screen, no first Aiders on site, clearly no designated first aid room. What a shambles! It's hard to believe with Health and Safety regulations that this is permitted. Why is this unsafe environment for the audience allowed to continue? Have BCC carried out a risk assessment? Are they waiting for someone to have a cardiac arrest and die before they do something? It doesn't take a medical professional to see that if 2,000 people can't breathe, then there will inevitably be a problem! The night was spoilt for a lot of people. I won't be rushing back to the Ulster Hall any time soon.

Ulster Hall in Belfast is a historic venue with a charming atmosphere, but it may not be the most impressive theater experience compared to larger or more modern venues. The hall is well-suited for comedy shows, intimate concerts, and community events, rather than grand theatrical performances. The acoustics are decent, though not exceptional, and seating can feel a bit cramped. While the venue has a rich history and hosts a variety of events, it lacks the grandeur and comfort of larger theaters. However, its central location and friendly staff add to the overall experience. If you're looking for a casual night out with comedy or music, it’s a great choice, but for major productions, there are better alternatives.

One of the best venues in Belfast, seen Ash and primal scream both here and be it the balcony or standing both are fantastic. The balcony area seats also faced the stage on the edges which was great as it meant not having to constantly turn. Accessibility was fantastic too, highly recommended lift to balcony level and guided the whole way to our seats, the staff were amazing, quick service at the bar also by very courteous staff Very highly recommended

My wife and I attended Legend Bob Marley, what a great show. The staff we're extremely courteous and helpful. Lovely atmosphere and venue allowing audience participation and inclusion throughout . 10 out of 10 .

Excellent night at the Ulster Hall. The building itself is an absolute beauty, take time to look at the rescued paintings in the corridor next to the bathrooms. We saw Campbell and Jenson supporting the fantastic Lyle Lovett. The acoustics were superb, seats comfy and the venue staff were very helpful. A brilliant night.

Attended for a concert, had front row seats however there is a massive gap between the stage and audience and the stage itself is very high! The ground floor seats were tiered and it had the appearance of a place very much past it's best sadly. Sure it was a beautiful venue in it's time. Despite it being a concert, staff were constantly telling us to sit down, we were just standing in front of our seats. It took the star of the show to actually tell us to stand up for them to allow us to stand. When we did, the crowd management was awful, all the the front row were stood, in front of seats but a few customers from further back decided to leave their seats and run around in the huge gap between the seats and the stage. They were rarely stopped. One lady repeatedly did so, being very distracting to us fans trying to enjoy the show and running around with her phone, dragging a family member to the stage and insisted the singer touch her niece's hand, he even had to say he can't do that for everyone as the staff were not stopping people. Disappointing venue and inept staff.

Great venue, nice size, seats a bit tight & drinks a bit expensive, but you expect that in such places. Went to see the magic of motown really enjoyed the show. The audience worn't dancing on the celling, but they were dancing in the aisles. Everyone seemed to be having a great time

Great music venue, but when seated downstairs, chairs on the flat floor, you can't see over the heads of the people in front. I prefer sitting in the balcony.

We went to enjoy an Eagles tribute band. They were very good, and despite being one band member down through injury, they performed just over 2 hours but we thought Talon (another Eagles tribute) were better. There's very little car parking nearby and the area around the hall has become overrun with hotels. The hall was quaint, airy, with good acoustics, but I found the seating cheap and terribly uncomfortable - if I were 7 stone and ultra thin it might have been ok but alas no. Worst of all, my view, from my ground floor seat, was spoiled as I was sat right beside an ugly 6 inch steel pillar (no centimetres here so I'm ready for Brexit - which is more than the government can say). I felt quite cheated on being charged full ticket price for an obstructed view. The hall sells alcohol, but we didn't bother as it's just not comfortable enough to relax enough to enjoy a drink. Now this will sound a bit daft but I'd struggle to name more than two members of the original Eagles band. I like their music but I've no real interest in knowing anything about them. Spookily enough it's been 25 years to the day since we were in this beautiful hall. Sadly we can't change the past as on that magical night we saw John Denver live for the last time. As I sat there last night, I recalled John telling the story of how he came to write Shanghai Breezes out of a phone conversation to his former wife when he was in Shanghai. He linked his tale to suggest something we already know and often ignore here, that in this throwback place we should be able to live together harmoniously. Plainly we still choose not to put ourselves out too much.

Ahhhhh...Ulster Hall...the memories! During my misspent youth I saw quite a few great (and questionable) bands here including Aerosmith, Poison, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Def Leppard - well it was the early 1990s hahahahaha! In more recent years I've seen The Cult in concert (it always annoyed me that I didn't get to see them play years ago), numerous art exhibitions and the Belfast Beer and Cider Festival. Conveniently and centrally located on Bedford Street, Ulster Hall's easy to reach by foot or bus. I love the small, intimate environment of this understated, beautiful, Victorian building which is great for smaller events. The interior is refined elegance with the world-famous Mulholland Grand Organ prominently displayed and an art gallery space too. However, it can feel a bit overpopulated at times, as was the case with the 2015 Belfast Beer and Cider Festival and I find the temperature is often uncomfortably warm, especially when packed for a concert or event. Much to my embarrassment I've never actually seen the Ulster Orchestra live, whose home is in the Ulster Hall, but I'm planning on seeing them soon and am keeping an eye on Belfast City Councils website for more Ulster Hall events.

Just picked up tickets for Mr Omid Djalili and can't wait. The foyer is well laid out and contains lots of info. This place is great for architecture and has lots of information on its history.

The newly renovated Ulster Hall is a joy to behold. In keeping with the traditional feel of Belfast's City Centre, the Ulster Hall was redesigned to look and feel like you were going into something that has moved with the times, but not be tainted with that "modernist" lick of paint. This place has everything from dance concerts to a free orchestra performance, comedy to tragedy. Inside the main auditorium, you get a traditional feel, and as it is not too big, it seems more homely than the Odyssey. Also, the positioning of the Ulster Hall means you can walk to and from it, which in my book is the best thing about it. I watched TIm Minchin here and it is by a long way the best concert I have ever been to. And the venue adds to that.

As a venue this place is top notch. Convenient to local car parks and very near the centre of town it is easy to find both by car and by foot. I have been to many events in this amazing old hall from a Reef gig in which I got rather up close and personal with the lead singer (he fell on me after a stage dive went wrong) to a truly awful stand up night where we left early! The venue can host any type of event because of its unique size and acoustics. The giant organ and the impressive stage make the venue feel large but actually it has quite an intimate feel to it since they introduced the new seating area. I have one problem and that it when yo buy a drink at the very small over crowded bar you can't take it into the main hall - it has to be necked in the foyer. Other than that this place is ace!

I love this place. In terms of a live music venue, there are few better. The acoustics are incredible, from orchestras to rock bands the shows are always incredible. The best thing to see in the Ulster Hall by far, is the greatest sport of all time; boxing! The surroundings are just so unique when you think of the event that's taking place. It has a great tradition as a boxing venue, with European, Commonwealth, British and World titles being defended and won in this compact arena. It really is something you have to experience. Carl Frampton is fighting there in November, please get a ticket! I'll see you there!

Went to see Tommy Tiernan there and had a great time at the comedy but the venue was a let down. A very small bar had to service the entire venue. The toilets were very small. Male toilets had urinals and no stalls. As nice as the venue is aesthetically, it is largely let down on practicality.

There's also an art gallery / exhibition space available on the first floor of the Ulster Hall. I only recently discovered this and I dread to think how many amazing exhibitions I've missed simply because I was unaware this place existed. When I visited a local photgrapher called Rob McAllister had work showing which focused on scenes from the north of Ireland entitled 'Nature of the North' Rob shows the landscape, wildlife and people of Belfast in an interesting light. His own personal perspective is recorded through his photography using different aspects of light, form and movement. Unfortunately I'm not a huge fan of Photoshop photography so some of his images were a bit of a let down to me, but for what they were I was quite impressed. It will be interesting to see future exhibitions shown here and the local talent that is given a chance to shine.

The Ulster Hall is THE best place for going to see music in Belfast, end of discussion.The acoustics here are great, and the place is small and intimate enough that a good view can be had from nearly anywhere, unless by poor chance you have located yourself behind one of the supporting beams of the business. But it is not just music that goes on here.There are kickboxing and boxing matchers, orchestras and comedians to name but a few of the different types of acts that can perform here. The refurbishment took a long time but it was worth it, and the place had a wonderful charm both inside and out of the building. I had some of my best ever concert experiences like being at the front row of Bloc Party and signing my heart out, rocking to the Stroke and enjoying Snow Patrol in the days when not every tom Dick and Harry loved them from the radio.For these reasons I love this place!

How much am I loving the Fashion Souk? V v much actually. For far too long Belfast lagged behind the rest of the UK in the fashion stakes, but not any more. Not only do we have great high street and designer shops, but we now have hip events like the Fashion Souk at the Ulster Hall. It's held once a month in the grand surroundings of the Ulster Hall in the city centre so it's a location which is accessible to everyone. In the interests of absolute honesty, I did find the event just the teeniest tiniest bit jumble sale-ish but it is based on the principles of reuse and recycle so clearly the clothes aren't going to be brand new, except of course for the very fashion forward offerings from Ireland's up and coming designers. Having said that, I really enjoyed my first visit and will most definitely be going back. There was a great buzz and excited atmosphere and the buyers and sellers were of all types from grungy students to glam fashionistas in search of a bargain. I like to kid myself that I'm in the latter group. You can have great time just browsing round enjoying the atmosphere - it feels like everyone is just delighted that Belfast is now home to this kind of event. I especially liked the jewellery stalls and the couple of fashionistas who were selling their wardrobe surpluses. Their was a pile of very glam strappy sandals, but sadly too big for my trotters. It only costs £1 to get in, so even if you don't bag a bargain, you'll have a good time for very little money. And I even learnt a new word - upcyle - how cool is that? Sounds so much more glam than recycle. Love it.

The Ulster Hall is by far the best music venue in Belfast (if not Northern Ireland). It's in a unique position in that it can play host to a set by DJ Shadow one night and then stage an Ulster Orchestra concert the next day. There is no venue in Belfast that has the character of the Grand Dame of Bedford Street. It's a beautiful building from the outside and on the inside strikes a balance between its history and its modernity. Home to the Ulster Orchestra, there are classical concerts on most weeks in the hall, but like I said, you're just as likely to find Snow Patrol, or Motorhead or DeadMau5 playing there, along with comedians and school's staging their Christmas concerts. One of the Hall's best features is the Mulholland Organ, which was painstakingly restored along with the rest of the Hall not so long ago. It's a beautiful instrument and worth going to hear if you get the chance. The Hall is also used for corporate galas and community events like the Fashion Souk and London 2012 open days, which are quite fun for families. You can also get married there and if I ever find a man mad enough to take me, I'll be taking advantage of that!

The Ulster Hall is a top class music venue housed in a classical building in the heart of Belfast. It os one of Belfast's oldest buildings and was originally sold to Belfast corporation in 1902. The grand organ in the main hall is a sight to behold and DJ Shadow recently played it at his gig there recently. It strikes me as the equivalent to the National Concert Hall in Dublin and it is telling that David Byrne picked both these venues to perform in on his 2008 tour. The hall is elegant and grand and is the home to the Ulster Orchestra. There are classical concerts on here nearly every week. There are also plenty of contemporary and alternative artists playing here to attract younger music fans. Some events coming up in the next month include a gig from the Temper Trap, a season of grotesque films from around the world and a boxing match. The Hall also caters for comedy events, gala dinners, award ceremonies, weddings, civil ceremonies, conferences exhibitions and drinks receptions. A big thumbs up for this excellent venue.

This has got to be one of the best venues in Europe and I've been to quite a few. Along the lines of the Paradiso in Amsterdam or the Ambassador in Dublin this 'hall' is one of the most enjoyable environs to enjoy a gig. First off savour the massive musical history to the place...almost every rock legend has trodden the boards here...Led Zeppelin("Stairway To Heaven" got it's first airing here), AC/DC, Cream etc through the 'punk scene' with Motorhead, Siouxie And The Banshees, Stiff Little Fingers, the 80's with Rory Gallagher, Metallica and then into the 90's with Faith No More, Underworld, Manic Street Preachers and up to now with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Muse and most recently DJ Shadow. Secondly the setting is brilliant; with the high ceiling semi-circle balcony and glorious organ looming behind the stage it's one of those rare venues where every place you stand/sit is a great vantage point to enjoy the action onstage and off. Lastly, it's been given a major re-haul and re-opened to much acclaim in March of 2009. If your favourite band happens to be playing then this is the best way to see them. Pros: Great stage views, classy surroundings. Cons: Sound can be a bit hit and miss.

This building has an amazing history and is incredibly historical. It has hosted the likes of Dylan, The Stones and was the first place on earth, ever to have Stairway to heaven played in it live. It was great then and its even better now. This is a great venue for all sorts of gigs. I saw Belle and Sebastian here and loved and I was at the reopening and loved it. Its a Northern Irish institution and love may it continue. It hosts a bi-monthly Vintage Fair which is great. Another reviewer compared it to the Paradiso in Amsterdam, which is ncie but going a bit far. The Ulster hall is great but the Paradiso is the best venue on the earth for music.

The Ulster Hall has been recently revamped and refurbished. This is a pearl for Belfast, it acts as a theatre, concert hall, sports arena and conference center.So many many many great musical acts have played here and I wouldn't know where to start to name them all. I went to see my first gig here alike everyone else in our population, the Stereophonics when I was in 4th year. I had never experienced anything like it before!!!! Its not as if the Stereophonic are the best live band in the world but it was just being there sensing the bass notes in my spine was remarkable and inspiring. Expect the best that Belfast has to offer in this venue, cramped, sweaty but rocking!!!!

If I were to list all of the best concerts I'd been to in Belfast, most of them will probably have taken place in the Ulster Hall. Although Snow Patrol upstairs in Morrison's, years before they started churning out funereal rubbish like 'Run' might be in the top three. I have memories of my glasses flying off into the distance during a song called 'Black & Blue', and having some other happy pogo-ing idiot handing them back to me a couple of minutes later. Snow Patrol used to be fantastic, honestly. My first gig after the Ulster Hall had been reopened following extensive refurbishment saw me a bit worried. What had they done to the place? Thankfully, everything looked and sounded pretty much the same. As other reviewers have said, the sound is unparalleled. The stage is a perfect size and height so you get a good view of your heroes no matter where you are, and the floorboards still bend disconcertingly when everybody jumps in unison, leading you to wonder what would happen if we all went straight through. I've never sat through a gig in the balcony because I'm always here for rock gigs and like to be standing, but I imagine it'd be fantastic for a more sedately paced evening of Richard Clayderman, were he to play here and if that was your thing. A Belfast institution.

My older memories of the Ulster Hall were of a fusty, old fashioned space where I was forced to play concerts in the orchestra every year, where my parents had to drag themselves along to sit in uncomfortable seating and snooze throughout the performance. Couldn't blame them really. But it's all new-fangled now, I must say. The entire place has had a much over-due facelift, and looks and sounds fantastic - the acoustics were always brilliant anyway. But the entrance area is all dolled up, clean, newly decorated and stylish, with still a hint of the historic about it - and the interior is much improved too. It's good to see an original building of Belfast still being preserved and used today and for more modern concerts, gigs and performances too. Great night out.

The Ulster Hall has been a stalemate and an old friend all in the same bag of tricks. Sitting proud on Bedford Street this old building has seen its fair share of the worst of the troubles (Bedford Street was often a target for bombs) I was here to see the great Steve Earle many a moon ago when I was a young thing but since then I've been back many times to take in Tim Minchin and other such performers. It was closed for what seemed like a lifetime while going under constructive work to improve the inside and the face of this early 20th building. It's also going to play host to the Belfast Beer festival this year for the first time in three years... whoop.

Great venue although I didn't find staff very helpful and if you're going to see a popular band there's not a great area for queuing.

This hall has been closed for 2 years but is reopening in the new year and promses to be new improved and much better than before! Previously it was a great little hall for intimate gigs and had a better atmosphere than a lot of the bigger places. Parking close can be tricky but its only a short walk through town from other car parks. Great for concerts!!

Lovely building though acoustics are variable - under balcomoes it can sound odd! Lovely organ...

i go here sometimes to watch boxing it is a great venue i would recommend it.