2026 Festival
Belfast International Arts Festival is back for its 64th edition from 14 October – 8 November 2026.
With over 200 events across 30 venues, we’re delighted to once again celebrate the very best in Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual Arts and Literature — alongside, for the first time, our new Immersive Arts strand.
#BIAF26
HOME
Wed 28 & Thu 29: 5–8pm | Fri 30: 3–8pm | Sat 31: 11am–4pm
Immersive Arts
Artist in Residence
Free
Takkuuk
Wed & Thu: 5pm, 7pm | Fri: 3pm, 5pm, 7pm | Sat: 11am, 1pm, 3pm
Immersive Arts
Free
Beginnings and Endings
2:00pm
Music
Free
Margaret Glaspy
7.30pm (doors)
Music
Kindred Ash
12pm – 4pm (Tue – Sat)
Immersive Arts
Free
Blue Lights Filming Locations | Walking Tour
11am & 2pm
Talks & Ideas
The Songs of Joni Mitchell
7:30pm
Music
NI Premiere
The Stoop
11am – 4pm
Visual Arts
Free
The Thirteen Chairs
6pm, 7.30pm, 9pm (Thu & Fri) | 5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm (Sat & Sun)
Theatre & Dance
World Premiere
Lost Communications: Underwater
6:30pm
Immersive Arts
Free
Takuya Nakamura
10:30pm (doors)
Music
BlackGate
7.30pm (doors)
Music
Bach Unseen
7:30pm
Music
Memento Mori | Sarah Richmond & Ian Tindale
7:30pm
Music
Eoin McNamee
2:00pm
Talks & Ideas
Belfast’s Statues and Sculptures – from Frink to the Big Fish | Walking Tour
11am & 2pm
Talks & Ideas
Joshua Idehen
7:30pm (doors)
Music
Glass & Beyond | Ruth McGinley
3:00pm
Music
Look Up! | Walking Tour
11am & 2pm
Talks & Ideas
Sebastian Barry
4:00pm
Talks & Ideas
Bette A. & Brian Eno | What Art Does
2:00pm
Talks & Ideas
Andy Irvine & Quilty
7:30pm (doors)
Music
The Human Voice
8:00pm | 3pm (Sat only)
Theatre & Dance
corto.alto
7:00pm
Music