Belfast is currently in the middle of one of its busiest cultural stretches. The Belfast International Arts Festival is back for its 64th edition, running from 14 October to 8 November, with more than 200 events spread across 30-plus venues. It's Northern Ireland's largest celebration of international arts and culture, and the scale of it is hard to overstate: artists from 19 countries working alongside local talent, with strands covering theatre, dance, music, visual arts, literature, talks and ideas, and a new immersive arts programme over at Studio Ulster.
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On the theatre front, the Lyric Theatre on the banks of the River Lagan is carrying a big one: Brian Friel's Faith Healer, directed by Emma Jordan and starring Conleth Hill, runs from Saturday 10 October to Saturday 14 November, with tickets between £16 and £40 and a 14+ age recommendation. The Lyric also stages Darren Jackson's Wedding from 21 October to 1 November and a new version of The Human Voice by Darren Murphy from 5 to 7 November. Over at The MAC, Tinderbox Theatre Company's reimagining of The Glass Menagerie runs 20 to 27 October, and the Belgian company Ontroerend Goed brings the interactive Thanks for Being Here on 15 and 16 October. Elsewhere, Hello Charlie runs 7 to 18 October, The Sorcerer's Apprentice from 10 to 25 October, and the Irish premiere of The Devil's in the Dance Hall lands on Thursday 22 October. Parade - The Giant Wheel is an Irish premiere on Saturday 17 October, free and with no booking needed.
The music programme is where the festival's international reach is most obvious. Orchestra Baobab opened things on 14 October at Queen's University's Mandela Hall, their first return to the festival since 2002. Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien brings An Evening With… Blue Morpho to Ulster Hall on Monday 19 October at 7.30pm, £49.50 and 14+, to unveil his new record. Rhythms of Connection on Tuesday 20 October pairs the Beat Carnival's Beat'N'Drum samba band with Hannover's Tudo Azul, part of a UNESCO City of Music partnership between Belfast and Hannover, £10 with a £6 concession and 18+. Later on, The Songs of Joni Mitchell gets its Northern Ireland premiere on Thursday 29 October, Joshua Idehen plays The Limelight on Sunday 1 November, and corto.alto makes his Belfast debut at Mandela Hall on Thursday 5 November. The festival closes on Sunday 8 November with Rory Friers at The MAC.
If you'd rather sit and listen, the Talks & Ideas strand is worth a look. Sebastian Barry discusses his new novel The Newer World at The MAC on 1 November, Jan Carson talks about No Vacancy on 18 October at the Harrison Chambers of Distinction, and Simon Mayo reflects on his career at Queen's Film Theatre on 24 October. There's also an Oscar Wilde walking tour starting at Queen's University on Friday 16 October and a Belfast literary tour on 17 and 22 October. For something more immersive, Studio Ulster hosts Takkuuk from 28 to 31 October, a journey to the Arctic told through infrared images and BICEP music, free but booking ahead. Lost Communications: Underwater runs 29 to 30 October, and HOME, created by Rory Friers, runs 28 to 31 October.
And if you're on a budget, a lot of this costs nothing. The 145th Royal Ulster Academy exhibition runs from 18 October well into January, A Thirst for Silver closes on 31 October, and Between Two Breaths runs until 19 November. Tickets for the paid shows can be booked online or at the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre facing City Hall, with concession rates for disabled visitors, students, under-16s, over-60s and unemployed. Some events sell out, so it's worth deciding early. The hashtag to follow is #BIAF26.
Published Date
21 October 2026
