The Knowhere Guide

Going Out in Belfast, Antrim*

Belfast, Antrim Clubs, Music Venues, Cinemas

Clubs (Dance Music) and Music Bars

• here's a run down of the clubs: THE BOX - mates have told me it's better than Beach Club BEACH CLUB - hardly any posers,spides or millies go there (thank goodness) SKYE - crap, only go in if you want to be "gangsta" or part of a "posse" or want to pretend you are from the "ghetto" or The Bronx, the only thing needed is your "bling" and start the conversation of with the words "bangin'" "wikid" "massive" "posse" "crew" "blindin" "hood" "ghetto" "innit bruv" LAVERY'S - spide hole enough said MILK - bring bats as the area is rough DEMPSEY'S - good SHINE - spides,milles and posers paradise
• If you enjoy being manhandled by 2 bouncers, only to be allowed back in if you don't jump araound (everyone else does it!) or climb on peoples backs (I was lifted up and NO I WAS NOT ON ANYBODY'S BACKS!!) (like I was) or not allowed back in to to tell your mates that you are outside (mate was) then head down to The Beach Club, where your dreams will come true. If you are a poser, millie spiceboy,spide underage a55hole you will enjoy it even more as the DJ PLAYS THE SAME SHITE YOU HEAR ON THE RADIO!!
• all clubs are full of spides, millies, spice boys, a55holes who start fight, underage drinkers who wait until bouncers stop asking for ID's then walk in. I'd rather go to a mates house, Halo (DR) or Chesters because apart from the mates house you are more likely to pull, whereas in Belfast they have a law which states that if you go after a girl, people are allowed to attack you for trying to pull
• I seen a couple fighting in Beach Club once - some stuck up b1tch probably thought one was going to chat her up the other defended her honour, Dublin Rd - sent WWE out here when clubs close and entertainment galore and you can play 'spot the glass bottle'
• most of the clubs cater for posers or spides and whoever said Beach Club plays cheesy tunes is wrong as Girls Aloud (posers fave band) are not cheesy they are crap, Belfast really doesn't have any good clubs go home or go to a mates house, watch the music channel with some beer and it'll feel like a PROPER club
• La Laeh - average bar, average club, small bottle of Koppenberg which is the same size as a coke which is £1.50 is £2.something
• Dempseys was good as you were in for free before 9. now you havr to pay Beach Club - is pretty good as you can laugh at the posers who think Girls Aloud are 'rock', the DJ is pretty good
• The Beach Club is ok the DJ is pretty good, there's no dance music and he really knows his stuff. downside is the place can be full of posers
• milk inc ,the cube( gay bar EW!), elephant rooms just ask around the yunger ones they all know were to go
• skye aka spides, was good, until I went there on saterday, as it was in their words 'members only', never heading there again.
• Dempsey's now known as Club Kia, the rest are full of spides who start fights and act hard
• Precious - where people try to look 'kool' pay £3 for WKD and the music is crap
• Demsey's
• Beach Club - good music, good drink (dance floor is abit small though, but it's worth going there)
• Milk looks dodgy set in Toome Street (Red Light Area)if you must go bring some bats as the area looks dodgy. Skye is better
• none, as they tend to let you have a couple of drinks and then make up an excuse to throw you out (ie Milk) Slabery's - don't go there as the bouncers try to pick a fight with you by insulting you Skye- just ok
• Skye - good music good fun. If you are lucky you might meet 'The Belfast Strangler' (last seen on St Patricks Day outside Northern Bank near City Hall)
• Lavery's - good place if you want to have a slagging match with the gorillas ie bouncers, beware thouh as the gorillas will always win
• Elephant room-good for catholics ,prods stay away heads could get broken
• Laverys Bar 12 - 16 Bradbury place Belfast Bt7 1rs Lavery's is the longest established family run bar in Belfast, and has been at the heart of local culture for nearly 100 years. With four bars under one roof no other pub can offer the same diversity in character, craic and entertainment. On the ground floor the public bar offers a traditional taste of Belfast with daily carvery lunch, ideal background music and all major sporting events covered. The banter is warm and friendly, and the atmosphere is cosy and relaxed. The Back Bar is also situated on the ground floor but is a mecca for all things alternative and underground. Here music is king and free entertainment is provided seven nights a week. Mondays HEMP - a joint effort, Reggae Dub Roots and Ska Dj Set. Tuesday TRIPTASTIC 60's Rock and Soul Dj Set Wednesday PERFORMANCE Local singer songwriters. Live Thursday FUNKIT Funk, Breaks & Soundtracks Live+ Dj Fridays BIG BOBBY Retro Rock Disco Dj Set. Saturday ECLECTIC ELECTRIC Various Alternative Dj Set Sundays FUTURE SOUNDS Underground Dance Dj Set The Middle floor is home to the recently opened BUNKER. With its minimalist design and superb sound system this is the place to see live music in Belfast. Various touring and local bands play Sun - Thurs with music ranging across every genre. Whereas Friday and Saturday night see the big time party faves come out in force. The Attic is open as a pool room 7 days a week with over 20 tables. Finger food is served daily until 9pm and there's Pinball, air hockey and retro arcade games. The jukebox is as varied as our entertainment policy so your sure to hear what your looking for! Every Saturday night the MIXMASTER CREW arrive in the Attic and transform it into SIN Belfast's premier Hard house / Hard trance club. Mixmaster has been the leading independent record store in the city for well over 10 years and these residents know there stuff and are joined by some of the biggest names in dance every Saturday night.
• limelight
• ahh dempseys is a whole but ive heard people have been known to have fun there
• venue anuty annes
• i seen the comment thats was written about paradise lost which wasnt very nice.if you are not aware of it paradise lost is now called the elephant room for the past 3 years now.it is not all protestants that go to it is a mixed crowd.with a good atmosphere
• Places to go: Wetherspoons or The Bridge House as its called now! Great place to start off your night, cheap drink, good atmosphere and some background music! always start off ere;)The Beach Club is a realli good night out..very strict on ID but music is good and cheesy lol mixture of dance, rnd, chart, and oldies (eg backstreet bois:S)lol but realli good craic! Always loadsa beautiful ppl headin here!..Thompsons is a great place to go to! love that rnb and hiphop!...bouncers are a bit picky tho...wed and thurs nights are gr8!(£5 in)..avoid fri and sat nights(£10 in), full of e-heads or 30+ :S.... on a thurs night Skye is great craic all dance and chart music!...(usually go ere b4 thompsons, and its onli £5 in and £1 a drink all night!!) On a fri nite the Kremlin is realli good craic £6 in...musics gr8...all up to date chart stuff in ere...homophobes stay away tho, yas might feel uncomfortable! The Fly is over 20's on a sat night but is realli good craic! musics all up2date chart stuff..mix of rnb and dance...bouncers can b strict tho!.. The Egg is realli good aswell to go to...strict on ID but still manages a younger crowd! although music is pure dance...a lot of happy hardcore:Sgood craic tho since its all done up!.. The Bot is 21+ i think much older crowd tho!...always packed but music is good..and its just accross from The Egg. The Parlour is a good laff aswell its free in!...its gettin stricter on ID cos it used to b bad for young ones getting in!!! Although music is good, its more casual!. The Spring and Airbrake and Katy Dalys are also very good nights out!...more of a chilled hippy vibe goin on but realli good craic none the less! Places to avoid: Laverys and Dempseys!.. avoid at all costs!..they are complete dumps! its just complete dance music...but not recent dance music:S the most people who go to it are all ones from that area so its rough..and your feet stick to the floor. They're good places to go to tho if youre of the more youthful clientele!
• The venue easily!great crack, loud music, really good.
• the venue, milk
• Renshaws Hotel. Nice club with good atmosphere if they let you in!! Some problems with ignorant door staff though, might decide not to let you in for no reason, even with ID
• The Globe!! Auntie Annies! The only places where u dance to some good ole g'n'r while losing sight due to dubious globe cocktails.
• The beach club for cheesy tunes and fun atmosphere
• The Venue is opposite dublin road, goths go there.
• the best nites to go out round the city are tuesdays and thursday's. Tuesday nite calls for the limelight, especially when Jimmy is dj'in, lots of interesting oldies of the rock alternative sort. Thursday nite is filled with sum new sum old classic tracks in Auntie Annies upstairs, "Frisky Disco" where everyone seems really friendly. Another good thing is the pub quiz in Katy Daly's, beside The Limelight, on a Monday nite, the best way to start of the week.
• don't forget the odessey belfast good wee spot for the student on a budget (thurs nites)
• Milk on a monday nite, Gay nite, fahkin fantastic. very recommended for a (straight) girly nite out!
• the venue
• vicos - dodgy as hell, but does the job after consuming enough alcohol
• The edge is pretty good on a saturday night
• Laverys: if you are looking for a shower in beer or a bad dirty look for a bouncer this is the place to be, The middle floor hosts a remarkable amount of young civillians but never the less a great amount of talent. Heaven: Thjis is for the hard clubber out there if you can stay in heaven and have a good time with out some young civillian highly intoxcicated wanting to knock your teeth out well done if you do ENJOY!
• THE MENAGERIE - cool we dusty hole playing cool music. Mostly art students go there.
• lordy lordy lordy - is this what it all comes down to? - drink? - guess so!! Most places around Queens are student packed during term time -so if u dont want someone throwing up on ur shoes- stay away. dont listen to all that balls bout gettin ur shit kicked in - same as ne where else- dont take sweets from strangers and u'll b grand. If u want somewhere sophis - bar red is nice, older crowd. But if u just wana good old fashioned piss up and good music - limelight is ur best bet.
• Culpa -looks jst like a wee place on outside, pretty big tho, scene for those in early 20s. Good music, nice vibe.
• The Venue is well heralded by my Gothy friends.
• not a great choice.quite a few posey type bars have opened up in the city centre but these have about as much atmosphere as an airport lounge
• The Globe does a good night on Wednesday - a mix of oldies and up-to-date pop/dance/r&b. DJ Paul M does a great job & actually plays requests you ask him for!
• Ski Bunny (Originally downstairs in Vico & then Auntie Annie)- fab music & atmos Vicos - 4 floors. manky toilets. familiar faces. Perfect
• PARADISE LOST @ THE EUROPA HOTEL IS A GREAT SPOT BUT STAY AWAY IF YOU ARE A CATHOLIC IT IS MOSTLY PRODS THAT GO THERE
• Upstairs in the Duke of York
• the venue the limelight there is alot
• THe venue kicks ass quite young ( well im 16)
• The Venue still rocks after all these years. There is a goth night as well as a rock night.
• Shine is good - especially if Justin Robertson is playing.
• Shine is the place to be for a bit of Wooomp woooooomp woooooomp smakin' out. if you know what i mean. Everyone is on the same wavelength there.
• caffreys and becketts are in west belfast and should be visited at least once. class nights out but if your a tourist you will probably get the shit kicked out of you. then took unto the falls road, a gun shoved up your arse and your brain eaten with a chicken curry and fried rice.
• Tatu -tres posey on the LIsburn Road (if you like tht sort of thing)
• Mandela Hall Queens Students union host a weekend club night- shine- has some great residents- and gust DJ's
• The Crescent no longer exists!!! It is being turned into apartments or something. The Parliament is no longer gay! There is a crackin club there at 3am on a Sunday morning called Kudos. Mark Wesley DJs there! New gay venue is called the Kremlin.
• The Crescent is *the* place to be seen- Sawdust and Soul and all that caper. Or Gyro's if you feel like having a nice violent night out. If you like random people weilding axes at you, and picking broken glass out of your hair for months, this is your sort of place.
• The Brunswick - Techno, House, Hip-Hop etc
• Vico's. Minute multi layered pitch black hole covered in camouflage netting and playing hard techno music to the crowded sweaty masses. It's great. Chek out Colin Shiels on Fri nights.
• Vico's, Giro's, Shine (tho it's far too spidey now, but ahhhh! those were the days!!), the Limelight occasionally... Avoid the M Club at all costs unless you like girls bursting out of tiny white mini dresses with their mottley legs blue from the cold. STAY AWAY from the Bot, the Fly, Hunters etc etc etc
• M-Club is good on a Saturday night. Very "studenty"! The Queens student union (Mandela Hall) opens up as an official club on Saturday nights, and is very good, but for harder, heavier dance music, featuring some good DJ's.
• Laverys Attic (shaftsbury sq) - good informal, easy-going atmosphere. Brilliant music, mostly commercial, but plays some alternative music. Any dress. M-Club (shaftsbury sq.) - 21's on Sataurday and Fri. Thurs a good student night. Very good commercial music for dancing. More dressed up. Orpheus (university street, behind Holiday inn) - Excellent club, like the M-Club in design. Some commercial music, some pop stuff you can't dance to, and plenty of nice chicks. Always packed, and there's discount to be had if you're in the bar next door from 9:00 Crescent (behind M-Club) - Advertises itself as a student bar. Half the people there aren't old enough to be students!!! Extremely cheap drink though don't hang around for long outside afterwards!
• Heat at the Parliament Bar (Dunbar Link). Best gay dance venue in fact the only gay club in Belfast.
• Thompsons Garage, Belfast's Best Night Club.
• Network
• Vicos

Live Music Venues

• The Bunker bradbury Place
• the front page not for the punk ones, the irish ones are good. big places the odyssey, kings hall, ulster hall
• katy dalys, rock d on a saturday is good but that blonde girl whos something to do with the distortion project is quite rude and could do with a can of deodorant!!
• Mandela hall theyve got a him concert comin up n noone dosnt like HIM
• the venue, limelight
• The Empire and The Limelight great 4 watchin ur mates tryin to be The Darkness.
• Alright folks the last Thursday of the Month will be Reggae night in the Front Page.....starting on Thursday 29th Feb...chaired by the Master Blaster himself Terri Hooley with guests.......kicks off at 8:30 till very very late....toprankin
• THE MENAGERIE
• Culturlann Arts Centre, Falls Road. Great spot for the best traditional music in Belfast as well as drama, art exhibitions, etc. Saturday lunchtime trad music session. Also tourist information.
• Venue opposite Dublin Road
• The Limelight is the places to see live music especially if you like it up and coming, there are a few people coming to the odyssey like christina agularia and blue and eddy izzard is coming to the ulster hall but it's usually cheaper and more intimate in the limelight.
• John Hewitt, near St Ann's Cathedral, small, cosey, comfy, local singers, songwriters, poets, everything, dependin on what nite it is, well worth going for a drink with a close group of friends, or a drunken nite with an ex-botfriend, haha. uh-hum.
• TONIC-dear lord! mostly underage folk! (can't believe i said folk!) great if you like drunken pervs saying ur beautiful
• GIROS!!! BEST FUCKING PLACE U.T.PUNX
• auntie annies & katy dalys always good for singer/songwriter nights
• Bands play at the odessey butthe limelight has good bands that play big and small.
• The Venue though if ur like under 18 ul haf to go to the all ages nights which are a bit crap when you think about it.........no bar, no drunk ppl, no nothiung!!they even search ur bag if u look suspicious
• Empire, thursday night is blues night. Atmosphere brilliant!!
• THE MENAGERIE - cool we dusty hole playing cool music. Mostly art students go there.
• the limelight, the venue, auntie annies, vicos, giros, laverys.
• limelight - ryan adams was there not so long ago - fantastic. lots o new music.
• Go to the Limelight. It rocks my world! Clearly the best club in belfast. Unfortunately there has been an infiltration of spides of late, but generally it's just your usual rocker/mosher types. Nu-metal people stay away- go to the Venue. Hmmmm, it's no wonder people in Ireland have a reputation for being stupid. The spelling and grammar in this place is appalling. Also, people who are talking about getting beaten up and taken down the Falls etc. arse off. Did you write that stuff in the 70's?
• Giros on fridays/saturdays nights usually punk bands mr nipples etc good laugh dodgy area laverys for gettin ladies coming u to formals dempseys/robinsons its pre foral tme but u must b over 18
• Mannafest is another alternative, its once a month, its Christian music and its held in the opera house (i believe)
• The Errigle on the Ormeau Road & The Duke of York.
• Venue
• The Menagerie on University Street. The Rotterdam in Pilot Street. I think Chris Roddy is still doing the music and he always manages to get decent acts
• the venue
• The Empire is the best for live gigs - The Creatures, Afrika Bambata, Stereo MCs etc.
• The limelight is the music venue in Belfast. Indie + alternative rock on Tuesdays. Loads of excellent live music from people like Badly Drawn Boy + Ash to great tribute bands like The Jamm. Plus check out the Venue + Auntie Annies on Fridays
• planet love will be very good this year, gatecrasher @ the odyssey arena- even better.
• normally a white Vauxhall Astra, complete with spoilers, clamped on twin exhaust, and a very attractive UV light underneath, which makes it look like a UFO/Steikmobile. Radio levels must be at least a few thousand decibels to get the atmosphere right- the *whole* car must be vibrating, not just the speakers. The blonde in the backseat will probably be vibrating too, but don't worry about damage to her brain-cells, it's normally required not to have any.
• If your into heavy metal or rock music head to the venue bar at bruce street, belfast.venue bar rock night is open on friday and saturday nights 9pm-1.30am
• The Empire Music Hall is good.
• anything that happens in botanic is usually good but the drinks expensive
• Pats Bar in the Docks area used to be the best place in Belfast for traditional irish music.
• Gyroes, York Lane (off Upper Donegal street behind the Irish News offices) - up and coming local bands whom you can catch before they go on to better things. Look out particularly for Sibling, since my Pete is their drummer.
• The Duke of York
• Limelight

Cinemas

• odsey lol
• dont go to glengormly its a shit hole
• I used to work in warner village. I could tell you a few stories about what goes on in there.........
• i like ugc cause its handy same with curleys even if its crapbut the best is the warner one in the odyssey
• Dublin Road, just don't make the same mistake I made, trying to buy tickets via internet or check the dates carefully, because it is possible to buy tickets on friday evening for friday afternoon....
• The Odyssey Arena! its the only place you should want to go to!!!! The Warner Village Complex is great, and wen ur done you can either go for something to eat in say The Red Panda (chinese) or La Tasca (spanish) or go for a drink in one of the many bars (The Basin/Bar 7)or clubs (Coyote/Beach) in the arena!
• Odessy is the best but yorkgate is fun to get chucked out of.
• Good cinemas, the Odyssey has a huge one. Bad equals Yorkgate, too small sticky seats.
• glengorlmy hardly ne steeks
• Warner Village, big seats, big screen, clean and only an escalator ride away from some of belfasts finests pubs clubs and resturants
• UGC is the best place to go in Belfast, 2.90 offpeak, cheaper than the oddessy, popcorn good, good screen.
• UCG cinema on Shaftsbury Square is quite good with student discounts and the huge'st drinks in the world for quite reasonable prices too, nice big screens too but crap music before the shows.
• warner village, in the odyssey. has everything in one place! no need to leave, except if the bank machines are broken, again!
• Warner bros, v overpriced but clean and not too many spides hang out, spent all the cash on kappa most probably oh no sorry just being told the new label is le coq sportif (pronounced the cock sportif and feel free to add in a liek!)
• ugc
• QFT has had a makeover and is a good place to head out to before going out for a drink with your mates. Students get discount!
• QFT is cool
• well belfast has a new place called the oddescy arena its cool they hav an ice hockey them called the belfast giants whom are quite good but i dont understand why there called the Belfat giants when there bassicaly all of the players are Canaidien theres that and at the same place theres a very good cinema "warners bros. cinema"
• UGC cinema is on the Dublin road, in the oddessy there is a sheridan imax one, and a normal one, surrounded by many restraunts. No where worth travelling miles for, a movie is a movie.
• Movie House Yorkgate is best for all-round value.
• The Curzon on the Ormeau Road used to me my fave, but think it's being turned into an Iceland!, but The Strand in Strandtown is much the same. Little & old fashioned.
• UCG Cinema on Lisburn Road (formerly Virgin). Go even if only to see the curtains!
• ugc move house warrner brothers cinyplex
• QFT is good for movies that the other cinema's don't show
• kennedy center cinema is crap my tv is bigger
• UGC- or UCG who knows who cares its pants
• The Curzon is shut. Lisburn Omniplex is brill though with free car parking and loadsa screens.
• QFT if you want to be pretentious.
• Yorkgate cinema. Cheaper than Virgin and there's a Harry Ramsdens for fish and chips just across the car-park.
• the Curzon has closed, unfortunaltely
• The Strand cinema is a nice local-type cinema, on the Holywood road, off a main arterial route - the newtownards road. Very local-ish 4 screens. Matinees. 10 minute bus ride from the city centre.
• don't go to virgin - it's far too expensive
• It has to be the Curzon. Tattered plush seats, cheesy music in the intervals, popcorn which got mentioned on Radio 4, even a girl coming round with ices in the big screen. Like a time-warp, now squeezed out by the multiplexes (why people should want to pay more and go further to crapper cinemas is beyond me) and liable to mutate horribly into an Iceland, or so i've been told. Last of the great old Belfast cinemas.

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Last updated: 2007-07-04