Greetings from The Wolf & Seahorse
Belfast has one of its biggest weekends of the year from 26 May to 1 June 2026. AVA Festival returns to Titanic Slipways for two days with a lineup covering everything from Kneecap and Annie Mac to Honey Dijon and Calibre.
Florence Road opens the week at Limelight on Tuesday. The MAC hosts a full free day of AVA talks and workshops on Thursday. The main AVA Festival runs Friday and Saturday at the Slipways. Joanne McNally's Pinotphile is sold out at Waterfront Hall on Saturday, which is reason to get on waiting lists now. The Ulster Orchestra plays soul at Ulster Hall on Friday evening.
This is our pick of what's on this week. As always for a full event list check out the link at the bottom of the email.
Let's dive in 👇
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
AVA Festival 2026
Thursday 28 May · The MAC (free talks and workshops, 11:00 to 18:00)
Friday 29 May and Saturday 30 May · Titanic Slipways
The 12th edition of AVA Festival returns to Titanic Slipways with five stages and 75+ artists, with 75% of the lineup drawn from Ireland and the UK. Headliners across the two days include Kneecap, Honey Dijon, Annie Mac, KETTAMA, Blawan, ,Eris Drew, Calibre, Or:la, and Chloé Caillet. Before all of that, The MAC runs a full free day of talks and workshops on Thursday for anyone who wants context for what they're about to hear. AVA has been building year on year since 2014 and the lineup quality reflects it.
Ulster Orchestra: Soul Music
Friday 29 May · 19:45 · Ulster Hall
The Ulster Orchestra at Ulster Hall playing soul classics on a Friday evening. Ulster Hall is one of Belfast's best acoustic spaces and soul is a genre that benefits from a full orchestra behind it. Tickets from £12, which is good value for the room.
Joanne McNally: Pinotphile
Saturday 30 May · Waterfront Hall
McNally follows The Prosecco Express with a show about situationships, revenge, frenemies, and rejection. Graham Norton's verdict: "One of the funniest things I've ever seen." The Waterfront date is sold out, but returns come through the waiting list and it's worth joining.
Sounds of NI
Thursday 28 May · 19:30 · The Belfast Empire Music Hall
Northern Irish music talent across one bill at the Empire on Botanic. A good night to discover something new across the local scene.
HAVANA NIGHTS: Salsa NI
Friday 29 May · 21:00 · The Belfast Empire Music Hall
Salsa dancing at the Empire on Friday night. Havana Nights has built a consistent following at this venue. Good option if you want to move rather than watch.
Florence Road and For Nina
Tuesday 26 May · 19:00 · Limelight
The Wicklow four-piece headline Limelight 1 with support from For Nina. Florence Road have built a following of over a million on the back of NME and Rolling Stone coverage, all before a debut album. This tour is testing how far the live show can carry the buzz.
EVERLONG: A Tribute to Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl
Friday 29 May · 19:30 · The Deer's Head
A tribute spanning both Cobain and Grohl's catalogues, which gives the setlist considerably more range than a Nirvana-only night. The Deer's Head is a small room and these fill fast.
GOUGE AWAY: 90s and 00s Alt Rock Club Night
Friday 29 May · 22:00 · The Deer's Head
90s and 00s alt rock on the decks from 10pm at the Deer's Head. A good way to carry Friday into the early hours after the tribute show wraps upstairs.
Rockfast 2
Monday 1 June · 19:00 · Mandela Hall
Rock tribute bands at Mandela Hall on the Bank Holiday Monday. A reliable option if the weekend runs long and you want to see it out properly.
A Hand in Nature: Craft NI Exhibition
Tuesday 26 May onwards · Craft NI Gallery, Cathedral Quarter
Contemporary metalwork and jewellery blending fine craft with nature-inspired themes. The Craft NI Gallery is one of the better small gallery spaces in the city. Free entry, running through the week.
Doctor Death: The Killer Case of John Bodkin Adams
Thursday 28 May · 19:00 · Limelight
Alternative Ulstours takes on the case of John Bodkin Adams, the Eastbourne GP suspected of murdering up to 160 patients in the 1950s. A true crime comedy show at Limelight. Niche, but there is clearly an audience for it.
Tony Cantwell: You Cry Weird
Friday 29 May · 19:00 · Limelight
Fringe Award-nominated stand-up, star of Amazon's Last One Laughing, and co-host of the Young Hot Guys podcast. Graham Norton called it "one of the funniest things I've ever seen." The Limelight is an unusual room for stand-up but if the energy works, it works.
Never Seen It Film Club
Sunday 31 May · Accidental Theatre
A film club dedicated to classics you have genuinely never seen. The Accidental Theatre in Shaftesbury Square is a reliable space for this kind of event. Check the website for what's screening.
Nick Mohammed is Mr Swallow: Show Pony
Monday 1 June · Ulster Hall
Nick Mohammed returns as his critically acclaimed character Mr Swallow for Show Pony. Best known for Ted Lasso and Celebrity Traitors, this is a different register entirely. Ulster Hall on the Bank Holiday Monday.
Coffee Tasting with Causeway Coffee
Saturday 30 May · 10:30 · Indie Fude, Ormeau
Guided coffee tasting at Indie Fude, the specialist food shop on the Ormeau Road. Causeway Coffee is one of the better Northern Irish roasters and this is an accessible entry point into what they're doing. Good way to start the Saturday before AVA takes over.
Belfast Nerd Market
Saturday 30 May · 11:00 · 2 Royal Avenue
Pop culture market in the city centre, with stalls for collectors, fans, and general browsers. Free entry. A good hour on a Saturday morning before the AVA weekend starts.
Reuse and Repair Week 2026
Saturday 30 May onwards · Various locations, Belfast
A week of community-led repair and reuse events including workshops, pop-ups, and swap shops across Belfast, running from 30 May to 6 June.
For a full overview of all events on this week in Belfast check out our event listings page
UNTIL NEXT WEEK
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