The Best Festivals in Northern Ireland

Known for so many incredible features like the Giant’s Causeway, the Titanic Slipways and museum, stunning landscapes and, of course, the best pints of Guinness you’ll ever have, Northern Ireland is a true gem.

And as a live music fanatic, it’s only natural to ponder what festivals Northern Ireland has to offer so you can enjoy all of that before enjoying your favourite artists tearing up the stage. Lucky for you, we’re in the same boat. To save you some time and help you find your dream fest, we’ve got all the info here on the country’s best festivals. 

There are a fair few Northern Ireland festivals to choose from this year, including dance havens, small alternative offerings, multi-genre gatherings, and more. So take a look and get planning! 

 

Emerge 

Photo: EMERGE BELFAST / Facebook.com 

When: Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th August 2024 

Where: Boucher Road Fields in Belfast 

2024 lineup: Peggy Gou, Patrick Topping, Ben Hemsley, Hannah Laing, blk., Azyr, Sara Landry, DJ Daddy Trance, Dom Dolla, Amelie Lens, DJ Heartstring, Mall Grab, OGUZ, VTSS, X CLUB., and more  

One of Belfast’s best music festivals, Emerge is an absolute cracker with some of the world’s biggest house, techno, and trance names on the scene right now. 

With music spread across multiple stages, the wildest pyro to bring the tunes to life, and warm weather (fingers crossed), Emerge is easily one of the best festivals in Northern Ireland. 

Perfect for those who hate mud and scrambling into a tent in the dark, Emerge is a non-camping festival. It’s also for ages 16+ so even if you’re just shy of your 18th, you can check out some of the best international and local artists. 

And if you’re not a local, don’t worry. It’s just over an hour from Belfast International Airport. And, with it being on a bank holiday weekend, you’ve got plenty of time to fly back home and recover. Day tickets are also available for this one if you’ve got your eye on a specific DJ or two. 

 

Find more info on Emerge - HERE

 

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Jika Jika Festival

Photo: Jika Jika! / Facebook.com 

When: Saturday 29th June 2024

Where: Ebrington Square in Derry

2024 lineup: Ewan McVicar, Special Request, Eclair Fifi, and CAOIMHE

Jika Jika is an event brand known for their incredible parties, so best believe their festival is going to be next-level!

Returning to Derry's Ebrington Square in June, the fest brings some of the best names in house, techno, and other irresistible dance genres. Headlined by Scottish DJ and producer Ewan McVicar, one of the brightest talents on the dance scene right now, from the offset you know it's going to be unreal. Joining him will be Special Request AKA Paul Woolford, beloved Scottish talent Eclair Fifi, and Belfast-based DJ CAOIMHE. 

To make it even sweeter, tickets are super affordable. And better still, you can spread the cost with the 2 month payment plan ticket. Class. 

 

Find tickets and more info on Jika Jika Festival - HERE 

 

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AVA Festival Belfast 

Photo: AVA Festival / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 31st May - Saturday 1st June 2024

Where: Titanic Slipways in Belfast

2024 lineup: Bicep present Chroma, Nia Archives, Barry Can't Swim (DJ), Kerri Chandler, Sammy Virji, horsegiirL, Helena Hauff, Confidence Man (DJ), and more

Another belter for dance music fans, 2024 sees the tenth edition of AVA Belfast. With a mission to push the boundaries of music and art, AVA boasts some serious spectacles in terms of production. 

Alongside music, which is spun by international and local artists, AVA includes a conference, an arts exhibition, and installations. The fest, often noted for its innovation and brilliant lineups, spreads music across multiple stages and welcomes hard-hitters in house, techno, UKG, electronic, jungle, and more.

Going down at Titanic Slipways, an iconic dockside location, you won’t find many festivals like AVA. 

 

Find more info on AVA Festival - HERE

 

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Stendhal Festival

Photo: Stendhal Festival / Facebook.com 

When: Thursday 4th - Saturday 6th July 2024

Where: Ballymully Cottage Farm in Limavady

2024 lineup: TBA

Built and run by a team of volunteers, Stendhal Fest boasts over eight stages spread across the main arena, woodlands, and its Karma Valley. Offering more than music with workshops, art, activities, comedy, and a dedicated family programme, Stendhal is a family-friendly festival, even selling family tickets. 

To give you an idea of what to expect when 2024’s lineup drops, among those who performed at Stendhal last year were The Wailers, Bell X1, Newton Faulkner, Cara Dillon, Turin Brakes, Huey Morgan (DJ), Chalk, and Sprints.

Stendhal is also a bit of a forest festival with stages surrounded by towering trees, decorated to create a whimsical atmosphere.

 

Find more info on Stendhal Festival - HERE

 

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United Tribes Festival

Photo: United Tribes studios / Facebook.com

When: Friday 28th - Sunday 30th June 2024 

Where: Beatties Farm in Omagh

2024 lineup: Mungos HiFi, Twisted Sisters, Space Shepherds, Fagin's Reject, Unrepentant Reggae Sounds, Big Jacket Crew, Dub Club Dublin, Fat Concubine, The Scunts, Jay J Harley, Illegal Swede, and many more

If you’re looking for something unique and intimate, this might be the one for you. 

2024 sees United Tribes Festival’s third edition as the team brings over 80 artists, mostly underground, from across the UK, Ireland, and Europe. 

Across its four stages, you’ll find music spanning punk, folk, hip-hop, ska, reggae, dub, indie, metal, bass music, jungle, DnB, breaks, psychedelic trance, acid techno, and acid house. One stage is dedicated to reggae and similar, with another focused on psytrance with immersive UV art installations. 

Finally, we wanted to highlight a cool little area at UTF: the NaturaFuse Area which boasts yoga, daily poetry, workshops, and talks. 

 

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Country to Country

Photo: C2C Country to Country Belfast / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 8th - Sunday 10th March 2024 

Where: SSE Arena in Belfast

2024 lineup: Old Dominion, Kane Brown, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Lauren Alaina, Jake Owen, Brothers Osborne, Elle King, and more 

Switching it up now, Country to Country is, perhaps not so surprisingly, a country festival! 

C2C, Europe's biggest country festival, comes to Belfast, London, and Glasgow with three days of performances from some of the world's best country artists as well as emerging artists from Nashville, the UK, and Europe. 

The 2024 edition has been and gone now but at least we’ve put it on your radar for next year! 

 

Find more info on Country to Country - HERE

 

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Eclectic Love Belfast

Photo: Eclectic Love Festival Belfast / Facebook.com 

When: Saturday 25th May 2024 (bank holiday weekend)

Where: Custom House Square in Belfast

2024 lineup: John Gibbons, Tall Paul, N-Trance, Alice Deejay, K-Klass, Ultrabeat, Nalin & Kane, Kelly Llorenna, Marcella Woods, Micky Modelle, and DJ Kenny K

Previously known as Electric Love, Eclectic Love highlights and celebrates Belfast’s LGBTQ+ community featuring drag artists and some of the best old-school dance acts on its stage. 

After an indoor edition, Eclectic Love returns to its outdoor format at its new venue Custom House Square. Running from 4pm until 11pm, this year’s bash sees some huge names on the decks, including Hacienda legends K-Klass. 

The team behind the festival has dubbed this year’s lineup the "biggest to date", and sees Q Radio's DJ Gareth Woods hosting. 

 

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Belsonic

Photo: Belsonic / Facebook.com 

When: multiple dates from Friday 7th June - Saturday 29th June 2024 

Where: Ormeau Park in Belfast

2024 lineup: Limp Bizkit, Belters Only, Becky Hill, Sting, Take That, Shania Twain, Scooter and Ben Nicky, and more

While these next two are concert series rather than festivals, they’re too good for us not to include them in our roundup of the best festivals in Northern Ireland. And we’re starting with Belsonic. 

Each headliner (listed beside “2024 lineup” above) will be joined by support acts that complement their sound. For example, Belters Only will be joined by D.O.D and Multunes, Becky Hill with Jazzy, Sting with Blondie, and so on. 

With a capacity of around 15,000, big production, a brilliant atmosphere, and some of the world’s and Ireland’s hottest talents from different genres, you’re sure to have a fantastic time. 

 

Find more info on Belsonic - HERE

 

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CHSq

Photo: CHSq / Facebook.com 

When: multiple dates from Saturday 3rd August - Friday 30th August 2024 

Where: Custom House Square in Belfast

2024 lineup: Sonny Fodera, Madness, Billy Gillies, Two Door Cinema Club, Stiff Little Fingers, Tom Grennan, PJ Harvey, James Arthur, Pixies, and more 

Just like Belsonic, CHSq has multiple days of outdoor gigs with headliners joined by similarly brilliant support acts. 

Spanning multiple genres, including house and techno, trance, ska, punk, rock, and pop, it’s easy to find an event or two you’ll enjoy, with LF System opening for Sonny Fodera, and Lightning Seeds for Madness and so on. 

The city centre festival is surrounded by the historic surroundings of Custom House Square and has welcomed music fans to enjoy the best artists in the game for over 15 years now. Belfast’s punk legends Stiff Little Fingers play every year, much to the delight of the city’s punk fans. 

 

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Still looking for your dream festival? Click or tap here to discover loads of brilliant music festivals all across the UK and beyond. Or here to find raves in Belfast.

 

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Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

 

 

  

 

 

Header: EMERGE BELFAST / Facebook.com