News

The longlists for this year’s Northern Ireland Music Prize are now live. Recognised as the biggest night in the NI music calendar, the Prize returns once again to the iconic Ulster Hall on Wednesday, 12th November as part of the Sound of Belfast festival. As ever, the big prize is the Best Album award. Among … Continued

Starr Records, one of Belfast’s most iconic record shops, has announced the launch of its own station, Radio Starr, set to go live this November as part of the Sound of Belfast programme. The new platform will celebrate and amplify Belfast’s creativity in the run-up to the Northern Ireland Music Prize. Radio Starr will feature … Continued

The penultimate Soft Gut Song Camp of 2025 is fast approaching, and with only a few spaces left, now’s the time to apply. Sponsored by IMRO, the camp takes place at the renowned Analogue Catalogue Residential Recording Studios in Rathfriland, a space that has welcomed artists including Lankum, King Creosote and Duke Special. Over several … Continued

Few people have shaped – and safeguarded – Northern Ireland’s music community quite like Charlene Hegarty. From her years at the Oh Yeah Centre, where she helped establish Scratch My Progress, Women’s Work and Sound of Belfast, to her work as a manager, label boss and festival co-ordinator, she has long been a force for … Continued

On Thursday, 25th September, venues across the Cathedral Quarter will host the evening showcase element of Output Belfast 2025. Organised in partnership with The Thin Air, IMRO, Faction, Girls With Guts, Soultrane, Under The Drum, PRS and others, the showcases will – as with previous years – present a broad cross-section of new and emerging … Continued

Belfast International Arts Festival has entered a new era with the appointment of Chris McCreery as Artistic Director and Chief Executive. Taking up the reins later this year, McCreery succeeds Richard Wakely, whose tenure firmly established the festival as a cornerstone of international arts and culture. Few figures in the city’s cultural life have left … Continued

Output Belfast, Ireland’s biggest one-day music conference, returns to the Cathedral Quarter on Thursday 25 September – and applications are now open for its annual Emerging Talent Showcase. One artist or band will be selected to perform on the bill, joining a citywide celebration of the best in new Irish music. To be eligible, applicants … Continued

The Northern Ireland Music Prize, alongside the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award and the Welsh Music Prize, has come together to launch the National Music Prize Network (NMPN), a new collaborative initiative that will support artists, promote cultural exchange and amplify the impact of each individual prize. Established in partnership by the Oh … Continued

On Thursday 25th September, Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter will once again be transformed into the beating heart of Ireland’s music industry. Output Belfast, the country’s largest one-day music conference, is set to return for 2025 with its boldest, most wide-reaching programme to date. As ever, it remains entirely free to attend. Now a firm fixture on … Continued

Songwriters and composers across the UK, including NI, now have the chance to connect with one of the UK’s leading music creator organisations – completely free of charge. The Ivors Academy, the independent professional association for music creators, has introduced a new Discovery membership tier aimed at empowering emerging and early-career songwriters and composers. Open … Continued