Belfast · small venue · Verified open
Belfast pub with Boundary Brewing.
About 80 standing, live music 3 nights a week, house PA. Folk, Trad, Jazz.
Nearby venuesUpdated 12 November 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.
capacity
| Live music | 3 nights a week |
| TodayClosed | 12:00–01:00Opens in 4h 09m 03s |
| Backline | PA provided |
| Books | Folk · Trad · Jazz |
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.
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.
| Capacity | about 80 standing |
| Live nights | Thu, Sat, Sun |
| Curfew | – |
| Sound limiter | – |
| Genres | FolkTradJazz |
| Website | thejohnhewitt.com |
| Status | Verified open |
| Last checked | 4 Jun 2026 |
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.
Belfast BT1 2FH
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 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 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.
| Mon | Closed |
| Tue | 12:00–00:00 |
| Wed | 12:00–00:00 |
| Thu | 12:00–00:00 |
| FriToday | 12:00–01:00 |
| Sat | 12:00–01:00 |
| Sun | 13:00–20:00 |
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 system | Provided |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
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 notesThe 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.
It keeps this page true for the next act through the door.
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.
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 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
More Belfast venues
Grassroots venues, pubs and stages that book live music in Belfast.
Open mic here
The John Hewitt hosts a regular open mic — see the night, time & sign-up.
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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.

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.
The John Hewitt this week
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.

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.
Claim your listing to update details, respond to artists, and manage bookings.
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.
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.
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.
Nights The John Hewitt usually has live music
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.
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).
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.
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 – 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 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.
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.
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The John Hewitt in brief. Set in Belfast, The John Hewitt is a small room (under 150) that books folk, trad and jazz. Live music is most often on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. It also hosts an open mic (every Wednesday). Other rooms nearby: The Lark, The Maverick and The Nelson Arms, 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 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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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.

































