The Belfast International Arts Festival, the city’s longest-running international festival, will transform Belfast into a cultural hive of activity this autumn with over 200 events spanning theatre, music, dance, literature, the visual arts and immersive experiences, from 14 October to 8 November.
The budget hotel chain easyHotel invites you this autumn to discover Belfast through its packed cultural programme, making the most of one of the city’s most prominent events. From 14 October to 8 November, the capital of Northern Ireland will host a new edition of the Belfast International Arts Festival, an opportunity to explore the city by following a different map: the one drawn by its theatres, galleries, concert halls and creative spaces.
With a history spanning more than six decades, the Belfast International Arts Festival, originally established in 1962, is Belfast’s longest-running international arts event. Its 64th edition will once again transform the city into a meeting point for local and international artists and offer travellers a different way to discover the capital of Northern Ireland.
For almost four weeks, more than 200 events will take place across more than 30 venues in Belfast, featuring artists from 19 countries and a programme that includes theatre, dance, music, visual arts, literature and, for the first time, a section dedicated specifically to immersive arts.
The festival makes autumn one of the most exciting times of the year for a break in Belfast, combining the city’s main attractions with a cultural programme that spans different neighbourhoods and venues.
Music, art and new experiences
Music will take centre stage in a city recognised by UNESCO as the City of Music. The festival will kick off on 14 October with the legendary Senegalese group Orchestra Baobab, whilst on 19 October one of this year’s headline acts will take to the stage: Ed O’Brien, Radiohead’s guitarist, with An Evening With… Blue Morpho.
Among the major new features for 2026 is the inclusion of a programme dedicated to immersive arts, which will be hosted primarily at Studio Ulster, one of Belfast’s most innovative creative and technological venues.
Literature and talks with international figures will round off the programme. On 1 November, Bette A. and Brian Eno will lead a discussion at The MAC centred on What Art Does, their collaborative work on the role of art in society and its ability to build communities and broaden perspectives. Brian Eno will take part via video link.
Theatre, dance, international premieres and performances by artists from Northern Ireland will round off a programme that will take place across the city for almost four weeks.
Belfast, a city to explore between performances
With the festival spread across more than 30 venues, its programme provides a great excuse to explore different parts of Belfast. The MAC, right in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, sits alongside theatres, galleries, auditoriums and new creative hubs.
As complementary activities whilst there, visitors can explore the historic pubs and live music venues of the Cathedral Quarter, stroll through St George’s Market or head to the Titanic Quarter, home to one of the city’s major tourist icons, Titanic Belfast. Furthermore, the city’s compact layout makes it easy to combine culture, history, cuisine and music during a short break.
easyHotel Belfast, an ideal base for enjoying the city
For those who want to use the festival as an excuse for a city break, easyHotel Belfast is an ideal choice for a comfortable stay whilst exploring the city.Its location makes it easy to combine the autumn’s cultural programme with some of Belfast’s main attractions. With its practical, comfortable and functional offering, easyHotel Belfast is particularly well-suited to travellers who prefer to devote their time – and their budget – to experiencing the destination: attending shows, exploring the music scene, enjoying the local cuisine and exploring the city’s various corners on foot.
About easyHotel
easyHotel is a European hotel chain focused on offering great value for money without compromising on comfort. Founded in 2004, the company is owned by EPISO 6, a discretionary fund managed by Tristan Capital Partners LLP.
Brand overview
easyHotel has a portfolio of approximately 50 hotels and some 4,640 rooms, comprising 13 franchised hotels (940 rooms) and 32 owned and leased hotels (3,700 rooms).
Hotels
- United Kingdom: Belfast, Birmingham City Centre, Cardiff City Centre, Croydon Town Centre, Edinburgh, Glasgow City Centre, Ipswich Town Centre, Leeds City Centre, Liverpool City Centre, London City Shoreditch, London Paddington, London South Kensington, London Victoria, Manchester City Centre, Milton Keynes Central, Newcastle City Centre, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield City Centre.
- France: Marseille Euromed, Nice Old Town, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Villepinte and Paris Nord Aubervilliers.
- Benelux: Amsterdam Arena Boulevard, Amsterdam City Centre, Amsterdam Zaandam, Brussels City Centre, Maastricht City Centre, Rotterdam City Centre, The Hague City Centre, The Hague Scheveningen Beach.
- Spain: Alicante, Barcelona Fira, Barcelona La Sagrera, Madrid Alcalá and Valencia Ciutat Vella.
- Switzerland: Basel, Geneva Airport Ferney Voltaire, Zurich City Centre, Zurich Limmatplatz and Zurich Main Station.
- Other key European cities: Berlin Hackscher Markt, Dublin City Centre, Lisbon and Sofia.