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Date: Thursday 11 December to Sunday 14 December 2025
Venue: Various locations across the city centre
Category: Christmas, Music
A magical programme of live Christmas music every weekend from 20 November until 21 December 2025, celebrating Belfast’s status as a UNESCO City of Music.
Enjoy 20 days of fabulous performances featuring traditional and contemporary festive favourites, leading soloists to plenty of sing-along moments with choirs, it’s the ultimate way to celebrate the season!
The live music programme aims to bring a little joy, a little beauty, a little magic to the days leading up to Christmas with some of the finest talent in Belfast. There will be memorable experiences to lift our spirits, inspire us and bring joy to all this Christmas.
The programme features Northern Ireland’s leading musicians - from choirs to brass bands, from NI Music Prize winners to jazz orchestras, from opera to our indie/folk singer-songwriters, from trad groups to beloved carol singers, everything you will hear has one thing in common: The…magic…of…Christmas!
Highlights include a Christmas Sing-Along of seasonal tunes and carols with the award-winning NI Opera (lyrics provided!), enchanting soloists, carols from Downshire Brass Band, the Oh Yeah Music Centre Christmas Showcase plus a host of NI Music Prize nominees and winners. Expect songs by Darlene Love, Joni Mitchell, Bing Crosby, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, Taylor Swift’s Christmas Tree Farm, Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas, to carols so traditional yet timeless such as ‘O Holy Night’, which are as festive as mince pies!
Free performances will take place at outdoor locations across the city centre, including City Hall, Grand Central Station and Royal Avenue, every Thursday and Friday from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and every Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 5pm.
Performances
| Date | Time and act | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 11 December | 4.30pm: David Walker 6pm: Downshire Brass Band |
City Hall City Hall |
| Friday 12 December | 5.30pm: Christmas Classics 5.30pm: Eimear Johnston Trad |
Grand Central Station City Hall |
| Saturday 13 December | 2pm: Belfast Musical Theatre Choir 3pm: Harpist Lauren O’Neill |
City Hall City Hall |
| Sunday 14 December | 12 noon: Trim the Velvet 2pm: Soprano Petra Wells 3pm: Chordblossom Christmas Showcase. Matt McIvor, Robyn Maddox, Mark Hegan |
St George's Market City Hall City Hall |
| Thursday 18 December | 5.30pm: Hazelwood Integrated School Choir 6.30pm: Harpist Lauren O’Neill |
City Hall City Hall |
| Friday 19 December | 5.30pm: Rory Nellis 6.30pm: Tenor Dessie Havlin |
City Hall City Hall |
| Saturday 20 December | 2pm: Soprano Petra Wells 3.30pm: Renaissance Chamber Choir |
City Hall City Hall |
| Sunday 21 December | 2pm: Sasha Samara 3.30pm: Belfast Community Gospel Choir |
City Hall Grand Central Station |
Pop-up events including the Avenue Arts Academy and Trim the Velvet will take place along Donegall Place, Cornmarket and St George’s Market.
Outdoor events are weather dependent. Any change in locations will be posted on @snowwater socials on the day of the event.