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If you want to soak up some culture on a student budget then Belfast has plenty to offer for you. Venues abound with affordable and free activities to get the creative juices (and the beer) flowing. If you don’t drink, don’t worry, there are plenty of options for everyone.

Black Box

A hotspot for live performance, is a venue with an underground aesthetic but a welcoming atmosphere. This city centre location has become the performance home of TenX Storytelling Events, the 10 Minute Play Festival and many more showcases of talent from close to home and far afield.

Here you can see Irish comedy, touring bands and powerful drama, all while the Black Box promotes inclusivity and mindfulness for all interested in culture. provides partnership for learning disabled appreciators of culture to attend events while the venue also runs weekly creative workshops and a monthly club night for adults with learning disabilities. If you want to attend then events are affordable and fun. If you want to make a difference then volunteer schemes are open and excited to hear from you.

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Sunflower

Belfast’s premier dive is an absolute joy for creative minds. offers a myriad of activities ranging from Irish traditional music sessions to Free Spanish Lessons, all with a selection of craft beers and wood fired pizzas available by request. This bar also has a social conscience, hosting regular Flea Markets and performances to benefit charitable causes and offering several beverages for sale with proceeds going to charitable funds.

Aside from this they also host events by such as Drink and Draw, an opportunity to have a sip and a sketch amongst friends and artists. If none of that appeals you can still join the Sunflower staff for Jazz sessions, Song Club, Open Mics and the occasional academic talk, all at low prices. You’ll come to recognise the regulars and might become one yourself.

Open mic nights at The Sunflower

Crescent Arts Centre

Just a hop skip and jump from Queen’s sits a vibrant offering a variety of events and activities all year round. Craft lovers will easily find something to entertain them at the Crescent, between the courses on offer from esteemed and experienced tutors to their monthly (free) craft sessions with complimentary glasses of wine during Late Night Art. If you can’t make it during the first Thursday of the month then there’s still plenty in store from Saturday Trad Sessions, to the Purely Poetry Open Mic (open to all) or the variety of talks performances and events held throughout the year.

If you are scientifically minded then you can find lots to occupy you here through the NI Science Festival and for the musically inclined the Belfast Guitar Festival will be of special interest. The venue is BYO during events and home to a charming cafe, with a quaint library, so whether you enjoy a wine or a coffee you can have an affordable afternoon or evening here.

Trad session - image courtesy of

2 Royal Avenue

An old building with a new face, is a cultural hub upcycled from a defunct supermarket in a former bank building. The spirit of reinvention is strong in this space, which is constantly changing and evolving. It plays host to art exhibitions, Irish language events, chess clubs and Tai Chi, providing an expansive portfolio of fun and games which is being added to constantly. If you want some quiet time you can find it here too, picking up a snack at the Yallaa Kiosk and relaxing in their library corner. If you’re lucky you may be treated to a tune on their grand piano, or if you tinker on the keys yourself you can provide the entertainment.

Oh Yeah Centre

Belfast’s proud musical history stretches into the future. Over the years the has become Belfast’s flagship venue for independent music. A revolving door of supremely talented local artists have moved through here to get their start and more so every day.

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Through their talent development schemes and constant provision of electric gigs the Centre continues to promote Belfast music with a bold, counter-cultural mentality. Here you can find battle of the bands competitions, experimental performances, old-school live acts and new-school attitude all within the living museum of music memorabilia. Punk, experimental trad, soul, prog, rock and roll are all represented throughout the year to make your ears happy and if you prefer a slow day of browsing then you can find the Belfast Record Fair here too.

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Things to do in Belfast

Fionntán Macdonald MA Creative Writing | Postgraduate Student | Belfast Hello! My name is Fionntán, I am 28 and born and raised in Belfast. I am currently in year one of my Part-Time MA in Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre QUB and it already feels like a second home. In my spare time I write fiction, read avidly and am always up for a handsome pint of Guinness. Since week one I have started attending events at the SHC and can be seen floating around the Centre, the SU or the QFT. I've loved getting to know my fellow students in the centre and am always looking for people to chat to about reading, writing and being creative.