If you fancy getting wrapped into the fabric of Belfast’s music culture, you’ll need to take the new UNESCO City of Music Walking Tour, which comes along with a special live performance from one of the city’s own musicians after each tour.

I had the pleasure of being shown around some of the cities’ musical landmarks on a sunny Saturday afternoon, guided by aficionado Dolores Vischer of Creative Tours Belfast, a huge music fan and qualified Belfast Green Badge Tourist Guide. The tour spans from the Ulster Hall to the Odyssey, with brilliant insights and Dolores creates a really engaging atmosphere while she opens a whole new side of the city to you.

The tour is in association with the Oh Yeah Music Centre, which is also the last stop on the tour. Here, you’ll have a drink and be treated to a live performance from one of the city’s wide range of music makers in a lovely intimate setting that feels like a perfect finale to a historic tour. The weekend of my tour, Conor Marcus provided impressive acoustic performance that really proved that the future of Belfast’s music culture is looking incredibly bright.

Speaking on the tour, , Dolores commented: “Belfast has such a rich music heritage and so much talent, past and present, across all genres. From electronic to classical and punk; opera to folk and pop - and everything in between - music plays a significant and important role in the fabric of Belfast, making it a vibrant city to live in or visit. I always knew Belfast was a city of music, but it’s a great boost that the city has been awarded the coveted City of Music status by UNESCO. It’s like having a global quality stamp!”

Dolores added: “The tour gives me a chance to share with others my passion for our city and its music, to show people some cool places, tell some stories about iconic music moments and local legends, and above all to make sure that the tour guests have a really great time.” 

The ‘Belfast UNESCO City of Music Walking Tour and Performance  - will take place in April each Saturday, plus Friday 22 April.

Each tour starts at 1pm outside the Ulster Hall and ends at 4pm at the Ulster Hall. The introductory special package also includes a bonus drink – so get booking!

Tickets cost £20 and can be booked at:  https://visitbelfast.ticketsolve.com/shows/873633417

The Belfast City of Music Walking Tour and Performance will continue during the rest of the year, with tours confirmed already for Friday 6 May and Friday 3 June (as part of Womens Work festival). Further details from https://www.creativetoursbelfast.com