Ulster Hall lighting scheme announced

LQ BID has today announced an investment of £170k in the Ulster Hall. The project concept – a dynamic, colour-changing LED lighting system – has been initiated by LQ BID and will be installed to further illuminate the venue’s iconic façade to ensure the building’s Victorian architectural features can be fully appreciated year-round.

The investment, which includes funding from the BID as well as the Department for Communities (through the Belfast Regeneration Directorate’s Revitalisation Programme), will also unlock opportunity for Ulster Hall to light up in different colours for civic celebrations and major cultural events, similar to its sister venue, Waterfront Hall, and Belfast City Hall.

Following a public procurement process led by Belfast City Council, AH Design and EDS Ltd. have been appointed to design and install the scheme respectively. The contractors will work closely with DfC’s Historic Environment Division to ensure the changes respect the building’s Grade A listed status.

Rob McConnell, Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall, said the investment represents continued strategic investment in the city’s night-time economy.

He explained, “This investment is about appreciating the important role listed buildings like Ulster Hall play in preserving our built heritage, but also recognising the positive impact arts and culture brings to the night-time economy. Ulster Hall draws over 150,000 people to the city annually across its various events and is central to the economic, cultural and social fabric of our city, and this investment gives this important venue a greater sense of place and presence.”

First opened in 1862, the ‘Grand Dame of Bedford Street,’ as she is affectionately known, is one of the oldest purpose-built concert halls in the UK and Ireland. This grand Victorian building has survived two World Wars and welcomed names as famous and diverse as Charles Dickens and Led Zeppelin. During the Second World War the Ulster Hall became hugely popular as a dance hall and was a big hit with American troops stationed on these shores. Throughout the1940s and 1950s, it became a premier boxing venue with many home-grown champions and

international boxing legends stepping into the ring. Since the 1960s, the Ulster Hall has been Northern Ireland’s spiritual home of rock music, hosting an almost endless list of famous names that has included U2, Coldplay, Thin Lizzy, The Clash, The Rolling Stones, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves, The Who, AC/DC and many more.

Managing Director of LQ BID, Chris McCracken, explained that the iconic venue is an anchor of the Linen Quarter.

He said, “The look and feel of this area – the heart of the Linen Quarter – has changed dramatically in recent years with Grand Central Hotel, The Bedford Hotel, and The Ewart all enhancing the streetscape. Amongst it all, Ulster Hall has remained an architectural icon. It sits proudly on the centre of Bedford Street – a street that has had approximately £200 million in completed regeneration projects since LQ BID was appointed in 2018, with a further £100 million on the way. It’s incredibly important that we continue to cherish the Ulster Hall amongst whilst these positive changes occur and harness the opportunity its location offers to our neighbourhood appeal.

“This new lighting will create a welcoming, animated aesthetic for tourists and locals alike, which will increase dwell time and consumer spend in the area. Since the opening of the Grand Central Station, the District has been repositioned as the gateway into the city centre, and with the Linen Quarter now home to 25 per cent of all hotel beds across Northern Ireland, and further new hotel openings planned for the coming years, this is a timely investment in placemaking.”

The design of the lighting project is underway, with installation expected to be completed by December. Belfast City Council has also invested £72,000 in the repainting of the building to enhance the project.