Greetings from The Wolf & Seahorse
Belfast has a packed run of arrivals this week. Mamma Mia! settles in for four nights at The O2 Belfast, and WellFest Belfast pitches its outdoor fitness and wellness festival in Ormeau Park.
The Belfast Guitar Festival adds three nights at the Crescent Arts Centre, running from a Fleetwood Mac tribute through to solo sets from Jon Gomm and Marisa Anderson.
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
Mamma Mia!
Wednesday 9 to Saturday 12 September · The O2 Belfast
Sophie's search for the identity of her father, ahead of her wedding on a Greek island, runs across matinee and evening performances through the week, set to the full ABBA songbook.
Belfast Guitar Festival
Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September · Crescent Arts Centre
Three nights of contrasting guitar music. Songs in the Key of Fleetwood Mac reworks the Buckingham and Nicks era on Friday, English guitarist Jon Gomm performs solo on Saturday, and Marisa Anderson closes the weekend on Sunday with material from her new record, The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music Volume 1.
WellFest Belfast
Saturday 12 to Sunday 13 September · Ormeau Park
The Dublin wellness festival crosses to Belfast for the first time, with fitness classes, talks and a family area across the weekend. The opening lineup includes Maeve Madden, Kellie Harrington, Blindboy and Spencer Matthews, with further names due in November.
Michael Starring Ben
Wednesday 9 September · 19:30 · Waterfront Hall
Ben Bowman leads this Michael Jackson tribute production, backed by a live band and choreography built around both the Jackson 5 catalogue and Jackson's solo career.
Focus
Wednesday 9 September · 20:00 · Mandela Hall
The Dutch progressive rock band behind "Hocus Pocus" and "House of the King" stop off in Belfast partway through a UK tour.
Duke Special
Thursday 10 September · Harrison Chambers of Distinction
Belfast songwriter Duke Special marks the twentieth anniversary of his album Songs From the Deep Forest with a full performance of the record, followed by a set of older material.
Cody Pennington
Friday 11 September · 19:00 · Limelight 1
The Nashville-based country artist mixes his own songs with anthems from Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen for his Belfast show.
Tom Waits Tribute Show: Bone Machine
Saturday 12 September · 20:00 · The Black Box
Bone Machine's touring four-piece, led by vocalist Jack Healy, works through Tom Waits' catalogue from quiet ballads to louder, punk-inflected material, with spoken-word stories between songs.
Bryan Hamilton – All-Vinyl DJ Set
Saturday 12 September · The Court House, Bangor
Hamilton plays a three-hour set of disco and house from his own vinyl collection in the venue's Drawing Room.
As It Is
Tuesday 15 September · 19:00 · Limelight 2
Brighton band As It Is headline Limelight 2, with support from East Antrim four-piece Cavalier Attitude.
Tony
Tuesday 8 September · 12:00 · Queen's Film Theatre
Wednesday 9 September · 17:45 · Queen's Film Theatre
Directed by Matt Johnson, this drama follows a 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain, played by Dominic Sessa, through a summer working in a Provincetown restaurant kitchen that changes the course of his life.
De Gaulle: Résistance
Tuesday 8 September · 14:30 · Queen's Film Theatre
Thursday 10 September · 12:00 · Queen's Film Theatre
Antonin Baudry's historical epic tracks Charles de Gaulle's flight to London after France's collapse in 1940, as he works without an army or official backing to convince the world the fight continues. Simon Russell Beale appears as Winston Churchill.
Hamlet: The Musical
Tuesday 8 September · 19:00 · The Black Box
Shakespeare's tragedy retold through rewritten pop and musical theatre numbers, skull puppets, rap and line dancing, with songs drawn from artists including Frank Sinatra, the Killers, Kanye West, ABBA and Queen.
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger
Wednesday 9 September · 18:00 · Queen's Film Theatre
Thursday 10 September · 20:45 · Queen's Film Theatre
This documentary captures Liam and Noel Gallagher's 2025 reunion tour with rehearsal, backstage and onstage access, including the brothers' first joint interview in two decades.
Freedom of the City
Thursday 10 September · 19:30 · The MAC
A new play created by young people from 5th Element, exploring community and self-knowledge with a live DJ running through the performance. The production was developed through Belfast City Council's Bank of Ideas scheme.
The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong
Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 September · Lyric Theatre
Don Wycherley performs this one-man show, co-written with Mary-Elaine Tynan and Niamh Gleeson, drawing on Paddy Armstrong's memoir to picture him at 74, fifty years after his wrongful conviction as one of the Guildford Four.
Belfast Potters' Market
Saturday 12 to Sunday 13 September · 2 Royal Avenue
Up to 40 potters and sculptors from across Ireland show and sell ceramic work, with workshops running alongside the stalls.
European Heritage Open Days
Saturday 12 to Sunday 13 September · Various locations, Belfast
This year's theme, "Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine," brings tours, talks, exhibitions and guided walks to sites across the city, including Belfast City Hall, Belfast Cathedral, Titanic Belfast and the Linen Hall Library, with several offering access not usually open to the public.
The Jury Experience: The Killer AI
Sunday 13 September · 16:00 · Mandela Hall
An immersive courtroom drama in which the audience acts as jury, hearing testimony and voting at key moments on a case involving a fatal accident caused by a driverless car.
Pizza & Pottery Nights (BYO)
Thursday 10 September · Loaf, Crawfordsburn
Resident potters guide a hand-building pottery session before the evening moves to the cafe for wood-fired pizza.
Kiki's Delivery Service
Thursday 10 September · 15:45 · Queen's Film Theatre
Studio Ghibli's coming-of-age story centres on a young witch who starts a broomstick delivery service in a new town, then has to find her way back to flying after a crisis of confidence. It screens in both the original Japanese with subtitles and an English dub.
Autumn Fair
Saturday 12 to Sunday 13 September · 12:30 to 17:30 · Botanic Gardens
The Autumn Flower Show anchors a weekend of food and craft stalls, live entertainment and cookery demonstrations, plus willow craft and planting activities for children. The Northern Ireland Bonsai Society marks its fortieth anniversary with demonstrations, and guided tours run through the Palm House and Tropical Ravine.
Drumming through Stories
Saturday 12 September · 11:00 · The MAC
A children's workshop pairing a tour of Susan Hughes' exhibition A Feeling in the Blood with an interactive drumming session led by Joe Loughlin of The Gathering Drum.
Artisan Market at Belfast Castle
Sunday 13 September · 11:00 to 16:00 · Belfast Castle
A craft market set in the castle grounds, running through the afternoon.
For a full overview of all events on this week in Belfast check out our event listings page
UNTIL NEXT WEEK
Thanks for reading The Wolf & Seahorse!
If you enjoy the newsletter or you find it useful here are some ways you can help us:
💌 Forward it to a friend, neighbour, or your local WhatsApp group
📝 If you were sent this and want in on the action, sign up here.
💛 Consider supporting the newsletter with a monthly subscription (coming soon)
See you next week 👋
P.S. Not feeling it anymore? No hard feelings. You can unsubscribe from the email footer below