EastSide Arts Festival 2026 Returns with More Than 100 Events Across East Belfast
East Belfast will once again become one of the city’s biggest stages this summer as EastSide Arts Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary with more than 100 events taking place between 24 July and 2 August.
Running under the theme Uniquely East, this year’s programme brings together music, theatre, comedy, visual art, film, talks, walking tours, circus performances and family events in venues ranging from neighbourhood cafés and churches to outdoor spaces and historic buildings.
Over the past fifteen years, the festival has quietly become one of Belfast’s most distinctive cultural events, championing local creativity while encouraging people to explore parts of east Belfast they may never have visited before.
Among this year’s headline events is a performance from SOAK, who opens the festival with an intimate show at Titanic Distillers Pumphouse on 24 July.
Electronic music also takes centre stage when EastSide Electronics returns to CS Lewis Square on 25 July. Curated alongside The Night Institute, the event features one of its strongest line ups yet, with Todd Terje and Leftfield (DJ Set) leading a full day of performances across three venues.
Comedy fans can catch one of Northern Ireland’s fastest rising performers as Emer Maguire brings her latest live show to Shorts Sports and Recreation Club on 1 August, while acclaimed Belfast singer songwriter Gareth Dunlop returns to the festival for a new intimate performance inside the Pumphouse.
One of the more unusual events in this year’s programme revisits the story of Belfast football legend George Best. Composer Matthew Nolan will present an immersive installation at George Best House, creating a new live score for a rarely seen avant garde film about Best’s childhood home.
Elsewhere, author Jan Carson joins EastSide Choir for Love Song to Lough Neagh, a new performance inspired by her latest novel, while I’ll Tell Me Ma celebrates Belfast’s rich tradition of street songs with live music, food and stout pairings at Boundary Taproom.
Families are well catered for too, with ParkFest returning on 1 August. The free event will feature circus performances, outdoor entertainment and activities for children, while also celebrating the 25th anniversary of East Belfast SureStart.
The festival continues to spread across east Belfast, with events taking place in established venues including Skainos alongside newer additions such as Happy Out Coffee. Titanic Distillers joins the festival this year as lead sponsor, hosting several of the programme’s flagship events.
Since launching in 2012, EastSide Arts Festival has grown into one of Belfast’s best supported community festivals, attracting audiences of more than 10,000 people while showcasing the area’s independent businesses, artists and creative spaces.
If you’re looking to discover a different side of Belfast this summer, this year’s programme offers plenty of reasons to head east.
The full programme and ticket information are available at eastsidearts.net.
