Keynotes of Success: Sound of Belfast 2023 in Review
Now that the dust has settled after Sound of Belfast 2023, we wanted to take a pause and reflect on some festival highlights and show our appreciation to everyone who made it all possible.
Bernadette Morris at Conway Mill. Photographed by Ciara McMullan
We showcased the best of our local original talent to 8,000 attendees across the 10 days in tiny venues like The American Bar right up to sell out events in the iconic Ulster Hall. There were a grand total of 69 events which included film screenings, panel discussions, educational and interactive workshops, live gigs, music tours, exhibitions, theater productions and sound walks. The Cathedral Quarter and beyond was filled with the Sounds of the city which included a multitude of music genres spanning folk, blues, hip-hop, electronic, jazz, soul, trad and more, shining a light on the broad range of diverse talent that makes up our bustling music scene.
We feel that Belfast City Council defined our mission statement best, you can read their tweet below.
The annual NI Music Prize is one of the key Sound of Belfast events, celebrating the talents of Northern Irish musicians whilst putting together a special night out for local music lovers and those involved in the industry.
This year’s event was a full house and it was broadcast live on BBC Radio Ulster. Performers included The Florentinas, Chalk, Ferna, Problem Patterns, Winnie Ama, Conor Mallon and Oh Yeah Legend recipient Paul Brady, each of whom blew us away in their own unique way. Hearing Paul Brady sing ‘The Island’ was so moving and poignant, and we were on our feet for ‘The World Is What You Make It’.
Paul Brady at the Northern Ireland Music Prize. Photographed by Lost Lens Caps
Sofar Sounds put on three lovely intimate shows in a diverse range of venues, they were cozy and memorable, we loved it! The 30th anniversary tribute show of Nirvana Unplugged was incredible, with powerful interpretations of each song off the album performed by top-class local musicians. All proceeds went to PIPS Suicide Prevention Charity, with a total of £5,689 raised. Volume Control’s annual Clash of the Newbreeds was another highlight, showcasing some of the best young talent in the city.
Tramp at the Oh Yeah Centre. Photographed by Carrie Davenport
Sound of Belfast is firmly focused on creating opportunities for local creatives and we are proud to say that 340+ individual musicians performed across 34 Belfast venues from 9-19th November. This was our first year reaching audiences in all four corners of the city from North through to South, East and West of the city. It worked beautifully and we look forward to keeping this up. It is our hope that Sound of Belfast attendees discovered impressive new artists, attended venues they’d never been to before and enjoyed recurring events that they will continue to support year-round.
Huge appreciation to all our funders and supporters for getting behind Sound of Belfast, including Belfast City Council, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, PRS Foundation, Cathedral Quarter BID, PPL, BBC ATL, PRS For Music, Tourism NI, Music Venue Trust, Shine Promotions, Music Video Marketplace and IMRO. Sound of Belfast could not happen without your support.
We can’t wait to do it all again next year, and we are excited to reveal the dates for Sound of Belfast 2024! Join us from Thursday 7th - Sunday 17th November for the festival’s 10th anniversary, it will be a special one, set to be the biggest and best year yet.
