Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [517]
Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival ( 9023 2403; www.cqaf.com) Twelve days of drama, music, poetry, street theatre and art exhibitions in and around the Cathedral Quarter. Held in early May.
June
City Dance (Crescent Arts Centre; 9024 2338; www.crescentarts.org) Free one-day dance festival.
July
Belfast Maritime Festival ( 9024 6609; www.belfastcity.gov.uk/maritimefestival) A two-day festival at the beginning of July centred on Queen’s Quay and Clarendon Dock, with sailing ships, street entertainment, a seafood festival and live music.
August
Féile an Phobail ( 9031 3440; www.feilebelfast.com) Said to be the largest community festival in Ireland, the Féile takes place in West Belfast over 10 days in early August. Events include an opening carnival parade, street parties, theatre performances, concerts, and historical tours of the City and Milltown cemeteries.
October
Belfast Festival at Queen’s ( 9097 1197; www.belfastfestival.com) The UK’s second-largest arts festival held in and around Queen’s University over three weeks in late October and early November.
Halloween Carnival ( 9024 6609) Held from 27 to 31 October, with special events across the city, including a carnival parade, ghost tours and fireworks.
December
Christmas Festivities ( 9024 6609) A range of events from late November to 31 December, including carol singing, lamplight processions and a street carnival.
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SLEEPING
From backpacker hostels to boutique hotels, the range of places to stay in Belfast gets wider every year. The traditional accommodation scene – red-brick B&Bs in the leafy suburbs of South Belfast and city-centre business hotels – has been lent a splash of colour in the form of stylish hotel-restaurant-nightclub combos such as Benedicts, and elegant but expensive boutique hotels set in refurbished historic buildings such as Ten Square and the Merchant Hotel.
Most of Belfast’s budget and midrange accommodation is south of the centre, in the university district around Botanic Ave, University Rd and Malone Rd. This area is also crammed with good-value restaurants and pubs, and is mostly within a 20-minute walk of City Hall. You can expect to pay around £12 to £15 for a dorm bed in a hostel, approximately £50 to £70 for a double room in a good B&B or guesthouse, and about £80 to £100 for a double in a luxurious midrange hotel. The top-end and more expensive midrange places attract a business clientele during the week, and usually offer lower rates at weekends (Friday to Sunday nights).
Book ahead in summer or during busy festival periods. The Belfast Welcome Centre will make reservations for a fee of £2. You can also book accommodation through the Lonely Planet website (http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com).
City Centre
BUDGET
Belfast International Youth Hostel (Map; 9031 5435; www.hini.org.uk; 22-32 Donegall Rd; dm £11-15, s/d from £21/29; ) Belfast’s modern Hostelling International (HI) hostel is conveniently located just off Shaftesbury Sq, which means it can be a bit noisy at night when the pubs and clubs empty. The hostel has a kitchen, a laundry, a cafe and free linen; rates are slightly higher on Friday and Saturday nights. Take bus 9A or 9B from Donegall Sq East or Great Victoria St (across from the Europa BusCentre) to Bradbury Pl.
MIDRANGE
Park Inn (Map; 9067 7710; www.belfast.parkinn.co.uk; 4 Clarence St W; r from £60; ) This brand new hotel boasts a bright and breezy atmosphere, with slick styling and splashes of bold primary colours. It has a top location, too – only five minutes from City Hall and close to loads of good pubs and restaurants – and is excellent value. There are eight wheelchair-accessible rooms, and family rooms can be arranged.
Benedicts (Map; 9059 1999; www.benedictshotel.co.uk; 7-21 Bradbury Pl; s/d from £70/80; ) Set bang in the middle of the Golden Mile, Benedicts is a modern, style-conscious hotel at the heart of Belfast