Discover the beauty of Belfast
Why you should visit Belfast?
Belfast. A city full of culture, heritage, world-class food and entertainment and great craic. We’re passionate about sustainability and only a short distance from major cities across the UK & Ireland. With so much on offer, Belfast should definitely earn a place on your destination list.
Whether you are planning a large-scale event, kick-off meeting or even a weekend city break, Belfast has everything you need. From Michelin star restaurants and quirky bars to iconic views, our unique heritage and world-class movie and television industry, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in the city.
Easily Accessible
Belfast is home to Northern Ireland's only purpose-built hybrid convention centre, ICC Belfast. Located in the heart of the city, our venue is easily accessible by train, plane, car or foot. In fact, ICC Belfast is only a short two-minute walk from Lanyon Place train station with easy access to Dublin and locations across Northern Ireland.
We have two airports – Belfast City and Belfast International. Belfast City welcomes flights from cities such as Manchester, London and Edinburgh and is only a five minute drive from the city centre, whilst Belfast International welcomes international flights and is a 26 minute transfer to ICC Belfast.
Our people
We can confidently say that Belfast is the Friendliest City in the UK (not that we're biased!) We scored a perfect 100 and secured the top spot in CN Traveller’s Reader’s Choice Awards 2021.
Belfast star Jamie Dornan agrees, saying that the people of Belfast are "the best people in the world". When visiting the city, Jamie suggests you should talk to people, get taxis (as every taxi driver in Belfast wants to talk) and have interesting conversations. You may even learn an interesting fact or two!
A wee walk
We like to call Belfast the walkable city. In fact, you can walk from one side of the city centre in around 30 minutes, passing a number of hotels, shops and attractions along the way.
We have a range of hotels dotted through the centre, including Grand Central, Radisson Blu, Titanic Hotel Belfast and Hilton Belfast, which is located just a two minute walk from ICC Belfast. Find out more about our accommodation here. If you feel like some retail therapy, Victoria Square shopping mall is located only eight minutes from our venue, with shops and restaurants to cater to all age groups.
Or, if you want to explore further afield, simply hop on a bus or train with frequent public transport services ran by Translink.
Sustainable destination
Belfast is a city dedicated to sustainability and has been recognised as one of the top 20 sustainable destinations in the world, click here to read about ICC Belfast's sustainable practices. As a city, we are committed to futureproofing the destination for future generations and through Belfast City Council's Resilience Strategy, aim to become an inclusive, zero-emission, climate-resilient economy within a generation.
ICC Belfast was also recently awarded Green Meetings Silver Award, becoming the first venue on the island of Ireland to receive the accolade. The award, accredited by Green Tourism, reflects our investment in sustainability and commitment to creating a sustainable tourism plan. Find out more about our sustainability journey here.
Scenic views
Another thing we love about Belfast are the picturesque views. You only need to look out of a window at ICC Belfast to spot some of our iconic landmarks in the skyline including the stand-out yellow Harland and Wolff cranes and Titanic Belfast. Walking along the River Lagan is the perfect location to catch a glimpse or why not hop on a Belfast Bike for an eco-friendly way to travel and explore what Belfast has to offer.
There are a number of stunning locations outside of the city centre too including the Giants Causeway, Botanic Gardens, Queen's University and Stormont Estate - perfect for a picnic (weather permitting of course!).
Five-star dining
We are known for loving our food, so you can guarantee that you'll never be without a good place to eat and drink in Belfast. From Michelin Star restaurants like Shu, Deannes at Queens and Eipic to unique bars and pubs including The Cloth Ear and the Spaniard located in the Cathedral Quarter as recommended by none other than Northern Ireland's own Jamie Dornan!
There's a bar called Spaniard in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast, but it's tiny, so you might find it hard to find a space on the weekend. If you stumble across the street to The Cloth Ear you can also find a brilliant pint of Guinness.
At ICC Belfast, our in-house hospitality team deliver exceptional, world-class dishes inspired by the best fresh local produce of Belfast. Creating fresh seasonal food allows our catering team to deliver outstanding dishes while also fulfilling our own objectives of ‘real’ sustainable food!
World-class entertainment
There's plenty to things to add to your Belfast bucket list from museums to events. If you're a fan of Game of Thrones, be sure to check out the Glass of Thrones Walking Trail, featuring six stained glass windows showcasing different items and characters from the famous series. Don't forget to visit Titanic Belfast, boasting an array of facts and footage about the Titanic's famous maiden voyage!
Or why not stop by our sister venues Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall for some evening entertainment from comedy nights, concerts, and 'An Evening With' shows. For more inspiration, check out Visit Belfast's website.
So next time you're planning an event, meeting or exhibition, why not consider coming to Belfast. Feel free to connect with our team on LinkedIn, we'd love to meet you for a coffee and show you what Belfast has to offer!
