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Belfast · small venue · Verified open

The John Hewitt

Belfast pub with Boundary Brewing.

About 80 standing, live music 3 nights a week, house PA. Folk, Trad, Jazz.

Nearby venues

Updated 12 November 2026

At a glance
Checked 4 Jun 2026

Here is The John Hewitt in Belfast at a glance. It has live music 3 nights a week. It books folk, trad and jazz acts.

80
Standing
capacity
approx. · small room
In detail
Live music3 nights a week
TodayClosed12:00–01:00Opens in 4h 09m 03s
BacklinePA provided
BooksFolk · Trad · Jazz
01 — Inside the room
4 photos

4 photos show the inside of The John Hewitt. It books folk, trad and jazz acts. Tap any photo to open it at full size.

Photos: Google
116
page views on GigXchange. Is it your venue?
0 members voted to bring it onto GigXchange
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02 — The details
Before you book
Everything you need to know

Everything about The John Hewitt that matters before you book is set out below. It has live music 3 nights a week. It books folk, trad and jazz acts.

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Member votes
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The facts
Capacityabout 80 standing
Live nightsThu, Sat, Sun
Curfew–
Sound limiter–
Genres
FolkTradJazz
Websitethejohnhewitt.com
The check
StatusVerified open
Last checked4 Jun 2026
03 — Find The John Hewitt
Belfast
Getting there

You will find The John Hewitt at 51 Donegall St, Belfast, BT1 2FH. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 77 rooms in our Belfast venue directory.

51 Donegall St,
Belfast BT1 2FH
04 — Booking
Want to play here?

The John Hewitt for artists: The John Hewitt 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 phoneLocked
Fee range per actLocked
How far ahead to bookLocked
Payment termsLocked
Sign up free to view Free account · no card · 30 seconds
Rate calculatorWhat should you charge here?Live UK rates by role, city and venue size.
05 — Opening times
Open 6 of 7

The John Hewitt publishes its opening times for 7 of the 7 days. These are the venue's own opening hours, not the gig start times.

MonClosed
Tue12:00–00:00
Wed12:00–00:00
Thu12:00–00:00
FriToday12:00–01:00
Sat12:00–01:00
Sun13:00–20:00
06 — What's on stage
1 provided · 6 TBC

The John Hewitt 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 systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
07 — About
Belfast
About The John Hewitt

Here is the story of The John Hewitt in Belfast so far. It books folk, trad and jazz acts. It has live music 3 nights a week.

The John Hewitt is a grassroots music venue in Belfast with a standing capacity of about 80. It books Folk, Trad, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Acoustic.

Listing notes

The ‌​‌​‍John Hewitt at 51 Donegall Street, Belfast (BT1 2FH) is a much-loved social-enterprise bar — owned by the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre and run by the Boundary Brewing Co-operative — that's one of the best spots in the city for live folk and traditional music. Its snug, traditional interior hosts an eclectic weekly programme: trad sessions plus jazz-funk fusion, blues, a regular jazz band, acoustic acts and the Belfast Groove Collective. Music sessions run Thursdays 8–10:30pm, Saturdays 6–10pm and Sundays 4–6:30pm, with the kitchen handled by Franky's Lasagneria.

Played here before?One tap
Was the backline right?

It keeps this page true for the next act through the door.

08 — What's on
Open mic

The regular night at The John Hewitt on GigXchange is its open mic. It has live music 3 nights a week. Venues often post their next nights on their own website first.

Open mic, every Wednesday - 20:00 · Free entry. More nights out in the wider Belfast gig directory.

09 — Belfast league
Next 30 days

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.

#59
of 77
live rooms
Ranked by gigs on the calendar over the next 30 days, refreshed nightly.
01Limelight 32 gigs
02Empire Music Hall up2 11 gigs
03Oh Yeah Music Centre down1 10 gigs
04The Telegraph Building down1 10 gigs
05Mandela Hall up1 7 gigs
06Ulster Hall Belfast up2 7 gigs
07Ulster Sports Club 7 gigs
08Voodoo down3 6 gigs
09The Belfast Barge up1 2 gigs
10The 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.

Run this room?
This page - and this ranking - is yours.
What you get
01Edit your profile and photos
02Set your fee range
03Receive artist enquiries
04Update backline and capacity
Claim this venue Free account · no card · 30 seconds
Live music on stage: a band under the lights
Belfast · Small

The John Hewitt

Belfast pub with Boundary Brewing. Capacity about 80.

c. 80
Capacity
3 nights
Live music
12:00
Open today
PA
Backline
Folk
Books
Verified
Directory status
Run The John Hewitt? Claim your page free — keep specs current

Last updated: 12 November 2026

The John Hewitt — Quick Facts

The John Hewitt capacity: about 80 standing. Belfast pub with Boundary Brewing. Here are the key facts on The John Hewitt at a glance. It has live music 3 nights a week.

Venue status Last verified 04 Jun 2026
How sure we are Verified open
Checked against the venue’s own listing View The John Hewitt open mic nights →
Capacity 80 standing A listed figure, not yet verified - check it with the venue before you book.

By size, The John Hewitt is the joint 19th largest of the 26 venues we list in and around Belfast with a standing capacity. Similar-size rooms: The Duke of York (about 80), The Spaniard (about 80) and 39 Gordon Street (about 60).

The John Hewitt's listed capacity is about 80 standing - a small room on the scale we use for every venue. Around Belfast, the middle-sized room we list holds about 150 - The John Hewitt is well below that. Rooms under about 150 are where most acts start out: shorter sets, a local crowd and often a door split or a modest flat fee. A room this size fills on your own following, so bring your guest list. We have not verified that figure yet - confirm it with the venue before you plan a show around it.

Today12:00–01:00Opens in 4h 09m 03s
Directory statusVerified open
This pageNot yet claimed
SizeSmallvenueAbout 80 standing
Live music3nights a weekThu · Sat · Sun
BacklinePAPA providedThe John Hewitt provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.
BooksFolk+5 moreGenres listed by the venue
Opening times

The John Hewitt this week

Mon Closed
Tue 12:00–00:00
Wed 12:00–00:00
Thu 12:00–00:00 Live music
Fri· today 12:00–01:00
Sat 12:00–01:00 Live music
Sun 13:00–20:00 Live music

The John Hewitt for artists: The John Hewitt has not joined GigXchange yet, so acts vote here to bring it on - to hire the venue for a private event, choose Private hire.

Member votes 0 votes to get The John Hewitt on GigXchange GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails - every vote tells the venue artists want to book it here.
Want to play here?Sign up free to vote →

The John Hewitt 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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Spotted something wrong?

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 John Hewitt

The John Hewitt has an in-house PA for visiting acts. The room holds about 80. It has live music 3 nights a week. Below: the PA, drums, amps and mics we know about, what we know about the room, and its regular live nights.

PA systemProvided
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
About The John Hewitt

The John Hewitt is a grassroots music venue in Belfast with a standing capacity of about 80. The John Hewitt provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue.

The John Hewitt books Folk, Trad, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Acoustic acts. This listing is part of the Belfast venue directory.

Listing notes

The ‌​‌​‍John Hewitt at 51 Donegall Street, Belfast (BT1 2FH) is a much-loved social-enterprise bar — owned by the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre and run by the Boundary Brewing Co-operative — that's one of the best spots in the city for live folk and traditional music. Its snug, traditional interior hosts an eclectic weekly programme: trad sessions plus jazz-funk fusion, blues, a regular jazz band, acoustic acts and the Belfast Groove Collective. Music sessions run Thursdays 8–10:30pm, Saturdays 6–10pm and Sundays 4–6:30pm, with the kitchen handled by Franky's Lasagneria.

Live nights
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun

Nights The John Hewitt usually has live music

What to know

The John Hewitt usually has live music on Thu, Sat, Sun. It lists folk among the genres it books. A PA is listed; check what else is on stage before you load in. The John Hewitt isn't on GigXchange yet - vote to bring it on, and have a short EPK and a live clip ready, since that is what most venues ask for first. More rooms, open mics and what they pay: getting gigs in Belfast.

Similar rooms

By size, The John Hewitt is the joint 19th largest of the 26 venues we list in and around Belfast with a standing capacity. Similar-size rooms: The Duke of York (about 80), The Spaniard (about 80) and 39 Gordon Street (about 60).

Have you played here? Was the backline info accurate? One tap, no sign-up required.

Find The John Hewitt

You will find The John Hewitt at 51 Donegall St, Belfast, BT1 2FH. The map below opens step-by-step directions in Google Maps. It is one of 77 rooms in our Belfast venue directory.

Address51 Donegall St
AreaBelfast
PostcodeBT1 2FH
Getting there

The John Hewitt is in Belfast — use BT1 2FH for sat-nav, taxis and ride apps. Before you travel, check the night’s start time and what’s on in Belfast this week; if you book acts, see who’s available in Belfast this weekend.

The Belfast League

The John Hewitt is #59 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. #1 – Limelight 32 gigs
  2. #2 ▲2 Empire Music Hall 11 gigs
  3. #3 ▼1 Oh Yeah Music Centre 10 gigs
  4. #4 ▼1 The Telegraph Building 10 gigs
  5. #5 ▲1 Mandela Hall 7 gigs
  6. #6 ▲2 Ulster Hall Belfast 7 gigs
  7. #7 – Ulster Sports Club 7 gigs
  8. #8 ▼3 Voodoo 6 gigs
  9. #9 ▲1 The Belfast Barge 2 gigs
  10. #10 NEW The Black Box 2 gigs

Run this room? This page, and this ranking, is yours to take over.

Claim This Venue

Not 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 John Hewitt. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page.

These are the 8 questions people ask most about booking and visiting The John Hewitt. Each answer uses the details already shown on this page.

The John Hewitt provides a PA system — check the rest with the venue. For venues with gear listed, see the Belfast venue directory.
The John Hewitt books Folk, Trad, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Acoustic. Browse artist profiles by genre on GigXchange.
Sign up free on GigXchange to see the booking details The John Hewitt has shared — contact, fee range and how to submit, where listed. Most grassroots venues accept email submissions with a link to your music or EPK. Check current UK fee benchmarks before quoting.
The John Hewitt has a listed standing capacity of about 80, a small venue. Check the figure with the venue before you book. See all Belfast venues for size comparisons. By size, The John Hewitt is the joint 19th largest of the 26 venues we list in and around Belfast with a standing capacity. Similar-size rooms: The Duke of York (about 80), The Spaniard (about 80) and 39 Gordon Street (about 60).
Yes — The John Hewitt hosts an open mic. Day, time and signup details are on its open mic listing.
51 Donegall St, Belfast, BT1 2FH. See the map below for directions. Browse more Belfast venues nearby.
Fee ranges are available to signed-up artists on GigXchange. Grassroots venue fees in Belfast vary by event type, band size, and whether the deal is a flat fee or door split. The GigXchange Rate Calculator shows current UK percentiles.
GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails. The John Hewitt hasn't claimed its page yet — vote to bring it on, or claim it free if you run it.

Venues Near The John Hewitt

16 other venues are close to The John Hewitt 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.

11 — Keep up with Belfast
One email a week. Gigs near you.

Our free weekly email brings live music in Belfast straight to your inbox. It keeps rooms like The John Hewitt full and costs you nothing.

Keep up with Belfast

Our free weekly email brings live music in Belfast straight to your inbox. It keeps rooms like The John Hewitt full and costs you nothing.

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12 — More Belfast venues
All ›

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 John Hewitt: The Points, The Reporter, Ulster Sports Club, Voodoo, White’s Beer Hall, White's Tavern, 2 Royal Avenue, 5th Element NI, Bert's Jazz Bar, Boucher Playing Fields, Brennans' Bar, Limelight, Empire Music Hall, Oh Yeah Music Centre, The Telegraph Building, Mandela Hall, Ulster Hall Belfast, The Belfast Barge and The Black Box.

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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