Belfast · medium venue · Verified open
150-cap rock, indie and trad pub venue.
About 150 standing, live music 7 nights a week, house PA. Traditional, Folk, Acoustic.
Nearby venuesUpdated 12 November 2026
At a glance, The Dirty Onion in Cathedral Quarter, Belfast is summed up below. It has live music 7 nights a week. It books traditional, folk and acoustic acts.
capacity
| Live music | 7 nights a week |
| TodayClosed | 12:00–01:00Opens in 4h 14m 04s |
| Backline | PA provided |
| Books | Traditional · Folk · Acoustic |
4 photos show the inside of The Dirty Onion, from the stage to the bar. It books traditional, folk and acoustic acts. Tap any photo to open it at full size.
Before you book The Dirty Onion, here are its size, live nights, genres and website. It has live music 7 nights a week. It books traditional, folk and acoustic acts.
| Capacity | about 150 standing |
| Live nights | Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun |
| Curfew | – |
| Sound limiter | – |
| Genres | TraditionalFolkAcoustic |
| Website | thedirtyonion.com |
| Status | Verified open |
| Last checked | 26 Jul 2026 |
The Dirty Onion is at 3 Hill Street, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, BT1 2LA. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 77 rooms in our Belfast venue directory.
Cathedral Quarter, Belfast BT1 2LA
The Dirty Onion for artists: The Dirty Onion has not joined GigXchange yet, so acts vote here to bring it on - to hire the venue for a private event, choose Private hire.
| Booking email and phone | Locked |
| Fee range per act | Locked |
| How far ahead to book | Locked |
| Payment terms | Locked |
| Rate calculatorWhat should you charge here?Live UK rates by role, city and venue size. |
The Dirty Onion publishes its opening times for 7 of the 7 days. These are the venue's own opening hours, not the gig start times.
| Mon | 12:00–01:00 |
| Tue | 12:00–01:00 |
| Wed | 12:00–01:00 |
| Thu | 12:00–01:00 |
| FriToday | 12:00–01:00 |
| Sat | 12:00–01:00 |
| Sun | 12:00–01:00 |
The Dirty Onion has an in-house PA for visiting acts. The list below shows the PA, drums, amps and mics we know about. Played here and the kit was different? Tell us and we will update it.
| PA system | Provided |
| Drum kit | Bring your own |
| Guitar amp | Bring your own |
| Bass amp | Bring your own |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
This is the background on The Dirty Onion, from the venue and its listings. It books traditional, folk and acoustic acts. It has live music 7 nights a week.
The Dirty Onion is a grassroots music venue in Cathedral Quarter, Belfast with a standing capacity of about 150. It books Traditional, Folk, Acoustic, Indie, Covers.
Listing notesThe Dirty Onion sits in one of Belfast's oldest buildings (dating to 1780) in the Cathedral Quarter, with live music seven nights a week and free entry every night. The focus blends traditional Irish music with contemporary acts - solo performers, duos, trios and full bands across afternoon and late slots - set around two bars and one of the city's biggest cobbled beer gardens. A nightly grassroots trad-and-acoustic stage at the heart of Belfast's music scene.
It keeps this page true for the next act through the door.
Nothing is listed at The Dirty Onion on GigXchange right now. It has live music 7 nights a week. Venues often post their next nights on their own website first.
No upcoming gigs listed yet. Browse the wider Belfast gig directory.
The Belfast league ranks live music venues by the gigs listed over the next 30 days. It refreshes every night, so a busy month moves a room up.
live rooms
| 01 | Limelight | 32 gigs |
| 02 | Empire Music Hall up2 | 11 gigs |
| 03 | Oh Yeah Music Centre down1 | 10 gigs |
| 04 | The Telegraph Building down1 | 10 gigs |
| 05 | Mandela Hall up1 | 7 gigs |
| 06 | Ulster Hall Belfast up2 | 7 gigs |
| 07 | Ulster Sports Club | 7 gigs |
| 08 | Voodoo down3 | 6 gigs |
| 09 | The Belfast Barge up1 | 2 gigs |
| 10 | The Black Box New | 2 gigs |
Not seeing your venue? This ranking counts gigs listed in the next 30 days. Create a page free or add your gigs - it ranks on the next nightly refresh.
| 01 | Edit your profile and photos |
| 02 | Set your fee range |
| 03 | Receive artist enquiries |
| 04 | Update backline and capacity |
The Dirty Onion
150-cap rock, indie and trad pub venue.
- c. 150
- Capacity
- 7 nights
- Live music
- 12:00
- Open today
- PA
- Backline
- Traditional
- Books
- Verified
- Directory status
Last updated: 12 November 2026
The Dirty Onion — Quick Facts
The Dirty Onion capacity: about 150 standing. 150-cap rock, indie and trad pub venue. Here are the key facts on The Dirty Onion at a glance.
By size, The Dirty Onion is the joint 12th largest of the 26 venues we list in and around Belfast with a standing capacity. Similar-size rooms: Island Arts Centre (about 150), The Duncairn (about 150) and Voodoo (about 150).
The Dirty Onion holds about 150 standing, which makes it a medium room by the sizes we use across the directory. The middle-sized room we list around Belfast holds about 150 - much the same. At 150 to 500, a room tends to book acts with a following of their own: local headliners, or support for a touring band, often through a promoter. Treat the number as a guide until it is verified, and check it with the venue first.
The Dirty Onion this week
The Dirty Onion for artists: The Dirty Onion has not joined GigXchange yet, so acts vote here to bring it on - to hire the venue for a private event, choose Private hire.
The Dirty Onion hasn’t claimed its page yet, so nobody from the venue is on GigXchange to message. Vote to bring it on - free account, no card, 30 seconds.
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Closed, changed capacity, different backline? Let us know. We review corrections within 7 days.
What’s on in Belfast this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
Inside The Dirty Onion
The Dirty Onion has an in-house PA for visiting acts. The room holds about 150. It has live music 7 nights a week. Below: the PA, drums, amps and mics we know about, what we know about the room, and its regular live nights.
The Dirty Onion is a grassroots music venue in Cathedral Quarter, Belfast with a standing capacity of about 150. The Dirty Onion provides a PA system; bring your own drum kit, guitar amp and bass amp — check the rest with the venue.
The Dirty Onion books Traditional, Folk, Acoustic, Indie, Covers acts. This listing is part of the Belfast venue directory.
The Dirty Onion sits in one of Belfast's oldest buildings (dating to 1780) in the Cathedral Quarter, with live music seven nights a week and free entry every night. The focus blends traditional Irish music with contemporary acts - solo performers, duos, trios and full bands across afternoon and late slots - set around two bars and one of the city's biggest cobbled beer gardens. A nightly grassroots trad-and-acoustic stage at the heart of Belfast's music scene.
Nights The Dirty Onion usually has live music
Live nights at The Dirty Onion are usually Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. Traditional is the first genre on its list. There is a PA listed - ask what else is on stage before you load in. The Dirty Onion hasn't joined GigXchange yet; vote to bring it on, and in the meantime keep a short EPK and a live clip ready - it is what most venues ask for first. See where else to play in Belfast and what local gigs pay.
By size, The Dirty Onion is the joint 12th largest of the 26 venues we list in and around Belfast with a standing capacity. Similar-size rooms: Island Arts Centre (about 150), The Duncairn (about 150) and Voodoo (about 150).
Find The Dirty Onion
The Dirty Onion is at 3 Hill Street, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, BT1 2LA. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 77 rooms in our Belfast venue directory.
You'll find The Dirty Onion in Cathedral Quarter, Belfast; BT1 2LA is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. We list 9 other venues in Cathedral Quarter, so a night out here can take in more than one room. Check the start time before you set off, and see what else is on in Belfast this week, or find a band in Belfast if you book the music.
The Duke of York, The MAC, The Northern Whig and The Spaniard
What's On at The Dirty Onion
Nothing is listed at The Dirty Onion on GigXchange right now. It has live music 7 nights a week. Venues often post their next nights on their own website first. Or browse the wider Belfast venue directory.
Nothing on the calendar here right now. Check the venue's own website or socials for its next night.
List your gigs and open mics free - they show here, on the Belfast gig directory and in search.
Every upcoming listing across the Belfast directory, sorted by date.
The Belfast League
The Dirty Onion is #52 of 77 Belfast venues for live music — ranked by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly. Only gigs in the GigXchange directory count.
- #1 – Limelight 32 gigs
- #2 ▲2 Empire Music Hall 11 gigs
- #3 ▼1 Oh Yeah Music Centre 10 gigs
- #4 ▼1 The Telegraph Building 10 gigs
- #5 ▲1 Mandela Hall 7 gigs
- #6 ▲2 Ulster Hall Belfast 7 gigs
- #7 – Ulster Sports Club 7 gigs
- #8 ▼3 Voodoo 6 gigs
- #9 ▲1 The Belfast Barge 2 gigs
- #10 NEW The Black Box 2 gigs
Run this room? This page, and this ranking, is yours to take over.
Claim This VenueNot seeing your venue? This ranking counts gigs listed in the next 30 days. If your room has no page here yet, create one free and it joins the directory. If it is already listed, add your gigs and it will rank on the next nightly refresh.
Rankings like this run across GigXchange: the national Hardest Working Rooms table tracks the UK's busiest grassroots stages week on week, the Pint Index prices a gig ticket in pints city by city, and UK market statistics covers what live music pays. All of it is built from the same directory this page lives in.
Common Questions
These are the 8 questions people ask most about booking and visiting The Dirty Onion. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page.
These are the 8 questions people ask most about booking and visiting The Dirty Onion. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page.
Venues Near The Dirty Onion
16 other venues are close to The Dirty Onion in Belfast. Each one has its own page with its size, kit and live nights. Use them to plan a night out or a run of local gigs.
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The Dirty Onion in brief. Set in Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, The Dirty Onion is a mid-sized room (150 to 499) that books traditional, folk and acoustic. The live music is mostly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Other rooms nearby: The Duke of York, The MAC and The Northern Whig, or browse the Belfast venue directory.
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.
We list 77 grassroots music venues in Belfast. Or search the full UK directory by town, size or genre. Every listing shows capacity, kit and live nights where we have them.
More rooms near The Dirty Onion: The Thirsty Goat, 39 Gordon Street, Harp Bar, The Black Box, The Duncairn, The Garrick, The Groomsport Inn, The Jailhouse, The Jeggy Nettle, The John Hewitt, The Lark, Limelight, Empire Music Hall, Oh Yeah Music Centre, The Telegraph Building, Mandela Hall, Ulster Hall Belfast, Ulster Sports Club, Voodoo and The Belfast Barge.
Belfast has 77 rooms in the UK grassroots venue directory - why we built it, and what the data shows.
Rankings like this run across GigXchange: the national Hardest Working Rooms table, the Pint Index and UK market statistics - all built from the same directory.
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More Belfast venues
We list 77 grassroots music venues in Belfast. Or search the full UK directory by town, size or genre. Every listing shows capacity, kit and live nights where we have them.