Limelight, Belfast
Limelight is a legendary live music and nightclub complex that first opened its doors in 1987. With a capacity of around 750, it’s a mid-sized venue that punches above its weight in Belfast’s buzzing nightlife and music scene. Originally launched by Patrick Lennon (who previously ran the Harp Bar), the club has grown over time to span multiple spaces, even taking over a former spring- and airbrake-themed premises.
Following a major refurbishment in 2012 under the new ownership of MCD and Shine Productions, the venue was rebranded into what visitors now enjoy: Limelight 1, Limelight 2, Katy’s Bar, and the outdoor terrace known as The Rock Garden. Limelight 2 retains charming wooden interior details and historical character, while Limelight 1 features a sleek modern design tailored for club nights and live gigs. Katy’s Bar offers a friendly atmosphere with over 30 global beers, plus a fine selection of gin and whisky, while The Rock Garden provides a relaxed outdoor space perfect for summer evenings.
Known for supporting homegrown talent and showcasing indie, rock, metal, and DJ-led nights, Limelight has also hosted major touring acts-bands like Oasis (including their landmark '94 show), Arctic Monkeys, Blur, Anthrax, and Moby have all graced its stages. It even became a focal hub during Belfast’s belFEST festival in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Its multi-room layout provides a variety of experiences under one roof, making it a must-visit destination for music lovers and clubbers alike.
Following a major refurbishment in 2012 under the new ownership of MCD and Shine Productions, the venue was rebranded into what visitors now enjoy: Limelight 1, Limelight 2, Katy’s Bar, and the outdoor terrace known as The Rock Garden. Limelight 2 retains charming wooden interior details and historical character, while Limelight 1 features a sleek modern design tailored for club nights and live gigs. Katy’s Bar offers a friendly atmosphere with over 30 global beers, plus a fine selection of gin and whisky, while The Rock Garden provides a relaxed outdoor space perfect for summer evenings.
Known for supporting homegrown talent and showcasing indie, rock, metal, and DJ-led nights, Limelight has also hosted major touring acts-bands like Oasis (including their landmark '94 show), Arctic Monkeys, Blur, Anthrax, and Moby have all graced its stages. It even became a focal hub during Belfast’s belFEST festival in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Its multi-room layout provides a variety of experiences under one roof, making it a must-visit destination for music lovers and clubbers alike.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Belfast. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Limelight on Map
Sight Name: Limelight
Sight Location: Belfast, Ireland (See walking tours in Belfast)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Sight Location: Belfast, Ireland (See walking tours in Belfast)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Walking Tours in Belfast, Ireland
Create Your Own Walk in Belfast
Creating your own self-guided walk in Belfast is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Belfast Introduction Walking Tour
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Sitting on the banks of the River Lagan where it meets the Irish Sea, the city owes its name to this coastal condition, with "Belfast"... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Sitting on the banks of the River Lagan where it meets the Irish Sea, the city owes its name to this coastal condition, with "Belfast"... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Belfast Victorian Architecture Jewels
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles





