The Black Box is a 240-capacity, not-for-profit multidisciplinary arts venue at 18–22 Hill Street in Belfast's historic Cathedral Quarter (BT1 2LA), housed in a Grade II-listed building of c.1850 and running as an arts space since 2006. One of the city's most beloved venues, its programme spans live music, theatre, literature, comedy, cabaret and film, supporting emerging and established artists alike and working closely with community initiatives and many of Belfast's highest-profile festivals. The attached Green Room café & bar opens Thursday–Saturday with resident DJs, visual-art exhibitions and one of the largest craft-beer selections in the city across 13 taps. Office hours are 10am–6pm Monday to Friday. Note: the row's stored address_area 'Duncairn' is incorrect — the venue is in the Cathedral Quarter.
Belfast · Monthly on Wednesdays · No fee listed
Belfast open mic at The Black Box — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
Kick-off 20:00, sign-up from 19:30. 10-minute slots. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
Wednesdays
| Night | Monthly on Wednesdays |
| Sign-up | 19:30 walk-in |
| Slot | 10 min |
| Entry | No fee listed · 18+ |
| Backline | PA provided |
| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Musicians · Poets · Comedians |
| Website | blackboxbelfast.com |
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 29 Aug 2026 |
| Checked against | Venue website |
Times marked tbc aren't confirmed yet - we're working to find out.
Belfast BT1 2LA
| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | Provided |
The Black Box is one of Belfast's best-loved independent arts venues on Hill Street in the Cathedral Quarter, and its open mic runs in the intimate Green Room bar. It's a properly inclusive night — musicians, poets and comedians are all welcome, each taking five to ten minutes to share a song, a verse or a few jokes, hosted by Jessie Fletcher and run in association with Mental Health Arts Northern Ireland (MHANI). It's free to come along and free to perform, with a friendly, listening crowd that suits first-timers. It runs roughly monthly, usually on a Wednesday evening (doors around 7:15pm, starting 7:30pm to 8pm) — check the Black Box's website for the next date.
Sign-up process
Turn up on the night and put your name down with the host.
Getting there
18-22 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2LA.
The Black Box is a 240-capacity, not-for-profit multidisciplinary arts venue at 18–22 Hill Street in Belfast's historic Cathedral Quarter (BT1 2LA), housed in a Grade II-listed building of c.1850 and running as an arts space since 2006. One of the city's most beloved venues, its programme spans live music, theatre, literature, comedy, cabaret and film, supporting emerging and established artists alike and working closely with community initiatives and many of Belfast's highest-profile festivals. The attached Green Room café & bar opens Thursday–Saturday with resident DJs, visual-art exhibitions and one of the largest craft-beer selections in the city across 13 taps. Office hours are 10am–6pm Monday to Friday. Note: the row's stored address_area 'Duncairn' is incorrect — the venue is in the Cathedral Quarter.
One tap. It tells the next act what to expect.
| 01 | Correct the day, time and sign-up |
| 02 | Edit your profile and photos |
| 03 | Receive artist enquiries |
| 04 | Update backline and capacity |
The Black Box Open Mic
Belfast open mic at The Black Box — listed on Google Places. Schedule below pending venue confirmation; check the venue's own listings before turning up.
- Wednesday
- Open mic night
- Apr 2026
- Listed since
- 29 Aug
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- 10 min
- Slot length
- Verified
- Listing status
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Black Box Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Black Box Open Mic runs on Wednesdays (monthly) at The Black Box in Belfast, starting at 20:00 with sign-up from 19:30. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Music starts around 20:00. It's walk-in sign-up, with the list opening at 19:30 - arrive early to get a slot. Each act gets about 10 minutes. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in.
What’s on in Belfast this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Black Box is one of Belfast's best-loved independent arts venues on Hill Street in the Cathedral Quarter, and its open mic runs in the intimate Green Room bar. It's a properly inclusive night — musicians, poets and comedians are all welcome, each taking five to ten minutes to share a song, a verse or a few jokes, hosted by Jessie Fletcher and run in association with Mental Health Arts Northern Ireland (MHANI). It's free to come along and free to perform, with a friendly, listening crowd that suits first-timers. It runs roughly monthly, usually on a Wednesday evening (doors around 7:15pm, starting 7:30pm to 8pm) — check the Black Box's website for the next date.
Sign-up process
Turn up on the night and put your name down with the host.
Getting there
18-22 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2LA.
What's on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
The Night at a Glance
How The Black Box’s Wednesday night runs.
Monthly on Wednesdays
Belfast, BT1 2LA - the map is below.
The Black Box provides a PA system and an in-house sound engineer — check the rest with the venue.
Get there by 19:30 for a slot, have your instrument tuned before your turn and keep to about 10 minutes.
Find The Black Box
18-22 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2LA
You'll find The Black Box in Belfast; BT1 2LA is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station.
Oh Yeah Music Centre, Denvir's Coaching Inn, The Second Fiddle and The American Bar
Planning Your Wednesday Night
Get there by 19:30 to sign up for a slot. The Black Box provides a PA system and an in-house sound engineer — check the rest with the venue.
What should you charge for paid gigs? Most open mic musicians are ready sooner than they think — try the Rate Calculator for live UK rates by role, city and venue size. Part of the Belfast live music scene.
Common Questions
8 questions people ask before going to Belfast's The Black Box open mic.
What’s On at The Black Box
The gigs coming up at The Black Box besides the open mic, from the GigXchange directory — each one links its listing.
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- TicketsAvailable
- AgeAll ages
- GenreMotown
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- AgeAll ages
- GenreRock, Pop
- Entry—
- TicketsAvailable
- AgeAll ages
- GenreMotown
- Entry—
- TicketsAvailable
- AgeAll ages
- Genre—
- Entry—
- Tickets—
- AgeAll ages
- GenreRock, Pop
- Entry—
- TicketsAvailable
- AgeAll ages
- GenreMotown
- Entry—
- TicketsAvailable
- AgeAll ages
- Genre—
- Entry—
- Tickets—
- AgeAll ages
- GenreRock, Pop
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The Black Box open mic in brief. The Black Box open mic runs monthly on Wednesdays from 20:00 (no fee listed); sign-up opens 19:30 and slots run about 10 minutes. The Black Box’s venue page has its kit and capacity if you want to come back with a full band. The open mics near Belfast are listed by day, for another night this week.
Booking or playing in Belfast? The GX Index publishes what UK gigs actually pay, by city, band size and venue type, and the GX Index reports set out the methodology and the sample behind every figure. Both are free to read and free to cite.
Keep exploring: the UK gig directory for what's coming up, the venue directory for rooms that book live music, the open mic finder for recurring stage time, and what's on across the UK this week. The blog covers pricing, contracts and getting booked, and about GigXchange explains who runs it and why. Something not right on this page? Tell us — or start on the home page.
Looking for paid gigs, not open mics? See Belfast gigs or check the going rate.
Christmas with The Motown SensationsSunday, 6 December 2026
Christmas with Frank and Dean - Ratpack RevisitedSaturday, 12 December 2026
AJJFriday, 12 March 2027Christmas with The Motown SensationsSunday, 6 December 2026Christmas with Frank and Dean - Ratpack RevisitedSaturday, 12 December 2026AJJFriday, 12 March 2027Rooms near The Black Box: 2 Royal Avenue, 5th Element NI, Bert's Jazz Bar, Boucher Playing Fields, Brennans' Bar, Bullitt Hotel, Denvir's Coaching Inn, Empire Music Hall, Errigle Inn, Fibber Magees, Fountain Lane and Granny Annies Kitchen.
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