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Our venues
The 2 Royal Avenue venue is open daily from 10am to 6pm, with late-night opening on Thursdays and Fridays in December during the run-up to Christmas.
The building has been transformed into a Winter’s Den for the festive period, with a fantastic line-up of seasonal activities from Christmas crafting, to music activities and twilight markets.
View the full Winter’s Den event programme (link opens in new window)
We’re delighted that 2 Royal Avenue will be a Cash for Kids NI Mission Christmas drop-off point.
If you would like to donate, please bring in a new and unwrapped gift, from 10am on Saturday 19 November to 6pm on Saturday 19 December.
Your support will mean that a child who's at risk of waking up to nothing on Christmas Day will have something to open.
We’ve transformed 2 Royal Avenue (the former Tesco building) into a meanwhile use city centre public space. This cultural, civic centre is provides a place for people to gather, meet, work and play.
Delivering on many of the ambitions of our Belfast Agenda, Cultural Strategy and Bolder Vision, 2 Royal Avenue is an accessible and inclusive space where everyone is welcome.
Surrounded with plant life and fitted with bespoke artworks, the space also has study areas, a Belfast-themed library, a sensory dome and a playful cosy area for children. The space has been designed to create a sense of calm and provide for people of all ages and abilities.
The venue is now dog-friendly.
Find out more on the ongoing creative programme at www.maywe.co.uk/2ra (link opens in new window)
You can get refreshments and sweet treats at the Yallaa Café cart (link opens in new window), operated by Yallaa Kitchen (link opens in new window).
Yallaa will be launching its full café provision within 2 Royal Avenue in mid-December, with a range of contemporary Mediterranean and Arabic dishes with a local twist. All food and drinks are prepared locally and sourced sustainably.
With plenty of space and a range of comfortable seating, come on in for work meetings or to catch up with friends!
The 2 Royal Avenue building was designed by WJ Barre between 1864 and 1869. Originally the building was the head office of the Provincial Bank of Ireland.
Barre was a prolific Irish architect who built many well-known buildings in Ireland in a Gothic Revival style. His best-known works include the Albert Memorial Clock and Ulster Hall. When Barre died following a short illness in 1867, at the age of 37, the architecture firm Turner and Williamson completed the building.
The impressive seven-bay façade is missing an elaborate sculpture that was intended for the pediment. A key feature is the beautiful, circular dome over an octagonal arcade. It is supported by corbelled columns that lead up to a Gothic gallery.
In the 1990s, the building was converted into a Tesco Metro store, with architects from the firm WDR and RT Taggart carrying out the restoration.
The venue is being operated by the wonderful, welcoming team at MayWe.
Our venue at 2 Royal Avenue is available to book for community and cultural events and on occasion for commercial hire. To ask about booking the venue, please email 2RoyalAve@maywe.co.uk for an expression of interest (EOI) form.
The 2 Royal Avenue venue is in a central city centre location, accessible via Metro and Glider routes.
Bus and train stations serving the wider Northern Ireland area are a short walk away. Visit the Translink website (link opens in new window) for bus and train timetables.
Accessible parking spaces are available on Castle Place and Donegall Place.
There is a bicycle parking rack outside the venue.
We are on social media. Follow us at:
Or visit www.maywe.co.uk/2ra (link opens in new window)
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