All About Belsonic Festival

Belfast, Antrim, UK

Open air

L – 5k-20k

Electronic, Rock, Pop

$$$

International, Casual, Live Music

+3 Days

Belsonic is a music festival that has become a hotbed for award-winning DJs, rock stars, and folk crooners.

What makes Belsonic unique is its voracious crowd. With as many as 15,000 festival-goers, artists like Dermot Kennedy, Timmy Trumpet, and Picture This have acknowledged the audience’s sheer enthusiasm.

Belsonic 2022’s edition dates are 3-26 June, 2022. Go get your Belsonic tickets on Soundclub, the social app for live music experiences covering +2,000 international festivals.

Belsonic’s lineup will include +20 artists. Among Belsonic headliners to look for we can find Calvin Harris, Iron Maiden, Liam Gallagher, Tiësto, and Gerry Cinnamon.

Here’s everything you need to know about Belsonic.

1. Belsonic started in 2008 at Belfast’s Custom House Square

Before becoming one of the most anticipated events in Ormeau Park, Belsonic festival had its humble beginnings at Custom House Square.

Their inaugural 2008 show ran over three days, headlined by psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips, English indie group The Enemy, and Liverpool’s The Zutons.

After a couple of successful years at Custom House Square, Belsonic moved to Titanic Belfast – The Slipways in 2016 to make room for more extensive lineups.

However, this move was short-lived – for all the right reasons. Noticing the festival’s massive success at Titanic Belfast, it didn’t take long for Belsonic to move to Ormeau Park in 2017.

2. Belsonic features celebrated DJs, rockstars, folk singers, and more

A huge part of Belsonic festival’s success is its unique combination of artists.

Moving beyond a singular genre, the event showcases international headline acts of different genres, mainly electronic, rock, folk, hip-hop, and pop.

Belsonic has witnessed some of the most prominent names in the music industry conquer the stage. You can find trendy DJs like Marshmello and Skrillex to legendary rockers like Slash and Green Day.

Other artists who graced the festival include folk crooner The Lumineers, pop sensation Ellie Goulding, and electrifying rapper Stormzy.

3. Dermot Kennedy played two shows in a row

Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy sold out two shows at Belsonic’s 2021 edition. Overwhelmed by the tremendous audience response, Dermot took to his Instagram to express his immense gratitude.

“40,000 people over two days, thank you so so much for being there tonight and that is so special to me, I hope you enjoyed it.”

-Dermot Kennedy

Dermot, whose debut album Without Fear spent 28 non-consecutive weeks on the charts, has been highly regarded as one of Ireland’s biggest success stories. With over one billion global streams, he’s one of the major talents that Belsonic festival had the honor of hosting.

4. Belsonic has always been Picture This’ favorite gig to play

Irish pop rock band Picture This has shared their appreciation for the Belsonic festival and its growing Belfast fanbase. Their previous Belsonic gig, with 10,000 festival-goers in the audience, brought what they called a “euphoric” moment for the band.

“I remember when we were playing Belsonic last time. Just as we played the last two songs before the encore, it started raining. […] Then as we finished, we were going off stage and it just started pouring out of the heavens. It was amazing. The atmosphere in general is always a highlight for us.”

– Picture This

Garnering more than 1,8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the musical group appreciates Belfast’s thriving music scene and gives props to the Belfast crowd for knowing what’s up.

5. Timmy Trumpet sold out Belsonic in 2018

Like Dermot Kennedy, superstar Timmy Trumpet also sold out Belsonic in 2018. The Australian headline act has always been a fan of Belsonic’s passion and energy, wishing that the “rest of the world partied as hard” as Belfast. The multi-talented musician, famous for his live trumpets, jazz influences, and breakthrough single Freaks, is ranked number 9 on DJ Mag’s Top 100 list.

6. A fan jumped on the Belsonic stage for a selfie with Martin Garrix

What’s a live music festival without its strange yet hilarious moments? During Belsonic 2017, a determined fan scaled the stage during Martin Garrix’s set to get a selfie with the internationally-acclaimed DJ.

The fan somehow bypassed security successfully and briefly met Martin on the stage. But before he could get a quick snap with his idol, on-stage security immediately pulled him away – leaving the DJ slightly shocked and amused.

Talking about Belsonic’s enthusiastic audience.

7. Liam Gallagher was forced to cancel Belsonic gig because of a helicopter incident

Nothing is more rock ‘n’ roll than an unwanted incident, especially if it involves a helicopter.

Liam Gallagher, former Oasis frontman and now solo artist, was scheduled to perform at Belsonic 2021 when he accidentally fell out of the helicopter during the Isle of Wight festival and injured himself 

“So check this out I fell out the helicopter last night you couldn’t write it. All good. Who said RnR is dead Keith Moon eat your drum skin out C’mon you know LG.”

– Liam Gallagher

With a busted nose and several facial injuries, Liam was forced to reschedule his Belsonic festival show at short notice. Now that’s hardcore

8. Belfast nightclub Shine organized Belsonic

Belsonic festival wouldn’t be possible without Shine Productions Ltd, more commonly known as Shine nightclub.

Shine is a Belfast night spot founded by local DJ Alan Simms in 1995 that has a popular following thanks to its techno nights.

As dance music became huge in Belfast, Shine continued to book famous DJs. Shine grew  immensely over the next few decades and is now the production house responsible for events at Limelight, Custom House Square, and of course, Belsonic.

9. Belsonic is near Belfast’s iconic pubs

Beat the post-festival blues by winding down at some of Belfast’s staple pubs. There are numerous watering holes surrounding Ormeau Park, from the young-spirited Katy’s Bar to the classic The Pavilion. Other recommendations include The Errigle and Northern Lights.

10. Stay in one of the numerous hotels near Belsonic

Belsonic has attracted audiences not just from Belfast itself but also from different parts of the world.

If you’re looking for somewhere to crash for the night, there are several hotels you can check out. Nearby hotels include Clayton, Malmaison, Holiday Inn Express, and Hotel ibis.

Take note: most of the nearby hotels are within 30 minutes of walking distance to the Belsonic festival. For a faster route, you can take Metro no. 7A-D from Belfast City Center and get off directly outside Ormeau Park.

Rock out to your favorite bands, dance to the trendiest beats, and become one with the avid Belfast crowd at the Belsonic festival.