Town

They're from Belfast

63 acts with roots in Belfast, Belfast. Bet you didn't know them all.

Van Morrison singing on stage in a hat and tinted glasses, Newcastle, Co. Down, 2015Photo: ArtSiegel · CC BY-SA 4.0 Listen

Van Morrison

Solo

East Belfast

Now: Northern Ireland & England

Local loreHyndford Street, East Belfast, is the childhood home name-checked in his songs.
BelfastRockSoulBlues
Kaz Hawkins singing on stage at Bill's Bar, BostonPhoto: Center for the Study of Europe, Boston University · CC BY-SA 2.0 Listen

Kaz Hawkins

Solo

Belfast

Now: France

BelfastBluesSoul
Stiff Little Fingers playing a charity show at Liar's Club, ChicagoPhoto: Robman94 · CC BY-SA 3.0 Listen

Stiff Little Fingers

Band

Belfast

Now: Touring internationally

Local lore'Alternative Ulster' became a punk anthem of the Troubles.
BelfastPunk
Gary Moore playing guitar on stage at Pite HavsbadPhoto: Tibban99 · CC BY 3.0 Listen

Gary Moore

Solo

Belfast

Lived in: England

Local loreA statue of him stands outside the Strand Arts Centre in East Belfast.
BelfastBluesRock1952 – 2011
Brian Kennedy holding a microphone, 2018Photo: William Murphy · CC BY-SA 2.0 Listen

Brian Kennedy

Solo

Belfast

Now: Dublin

BelfastPopFolk
Sir James Galway in Basel, Switzerland, May 2013Photo: Shtue · CC BY 3.0

Sir James Galway

Solo

Belfast

Now: Switzerland

Local loreKnown worldwide as 'The Man with the Golden Flute'.
BelfastClassical
Bap Kennedy singing with an electric guitarPhoto: Brenda Kennedy · Public domain

Bap Kennedy

Solo

West Belfast

Lived in: Co. Down

Local loreRecorded his solo debut with Steve Earle producing.
BelfastSinger-SongwriterCountry Rock1962 – 2016
Vivian Campbell playing guitar with Def Leppard at Hellfest, 2019Photo: Selbymay · CC BY-SA 4.0

Vivian Campbell

Solo

Belfast

Now: California, USA

Local loreHis first show with Def Leppard was the Freddie Mercury tribute concert at Wembley.
BelfastRockMetal
Eric Bell playing guitar at the Phil Lynott statue unveiling gig, 2005Photo: Alan Topping · CC BY-SA 2.0

Eric Bell

Solo

East Belfast

Now: Touring internationally

Local loreThat's his guitar on Thin Lizzy's 'Whiskey in the Jar'.
BelfastBluesRock
Jordan Adetunji wearing headphones in a Mixtape Madness video stillPhoto: Mixtape Madness · CC BY 3.0

Jordan Adetunji

Solo

Belfast (raised)

Now: Touring internationally

Local loreKehlani herself jumped on the remix of his song named after her.
BelfastHip-HopR&B
Problem Patterns performing at Stendhal Festival, 2024Photo: Conall · CC BY 2.0

Problem Patterns

Band

Belfast

Local loreNo fixed front person — they swap instruments between songs.
BelfastPunk
Simon McBride playing guitar at Lieder am See, 2022Photo: Stefan Brending ( 2eight ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE

Simon McBride

Solo

Belfast

BelfastBluesRock
Gareth Dunlop photographed outdoors by Andy EarlPhoto: Andy Earl (photograph); Barney The McGrew (Commons author) · CC BY-SA 4.0

Gareth Dunlop

Solo

Born and raised in Belfast

BelfastSoulSinger-Songwriter
Sweet Savage guitarists Trev Fleming and Vivian Campbell performing in Cardiff, 1981Photo: Andrew King Wales · CC BY-SA 4.0

Sweet Savage

Band

Belfast

BelfastMetalRock
Portrait of Belfast songwriter Andy WhitePhoto: Roseandywhite ( talk ) ( Uploads ) · Public domain

Andy White

Solo

Belfast

BelfastFolkPopSinger-Songwriter
Listen

Duke Special

Solo

Belfast

BelfastSinger-SongwriterCabaret
Listen

Kneecap

Band

Belfast & Derry

BelfastHip-Hop

Ruby Murray

Solo

Belfast (Donegall Road)

Lived in: England

Local loreIn 1955 she had five singles in the UK Top 20 in the same week.
BelfastPop1935 – 1996

David Holmes

Solo

Belfast

Local loreScored Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven.
BelfastElectronic

Them

Band

Belfast

Lived in: Ended 1970s

Local loreTheir recording of 'Gloria' entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
BelfastBluesRockLegacy

Oppenheimer

Band

Belfast

Lived in: Split 2009

Local loreAsh's Tim Wheeler guested on their song 'Orchid'.
BelfastIndieElectronicPopLegacy

Cashier No.9

Band

Belfast

Lived in: Split; members now exmagician

BelfastIndiePsychedelicLegacy

The Adventures

Band

Belfast

Local lore'Broken Land' was the most-played song on BBC Radio 1 in 1988.
BelfastPopRock

Rudi

Band

Belfast

Lived in: Ended 1982

Local loreTheir 'Big Time' was the first-ever release on Good Vibrations Records.
BelfastPunkPower PopLegacy

The Outcasts

Band

Belfast

Now: Touring internationally

Local loreGreg Cowan says the name came from being banned from five clubs in one week.
BelfastPunk

Protex

Band

Belfast

Local loreThey shortened their original name, Protex Blue, so nobody would mistake them for a blues band.
BelfastPunkPower Pop

The Defects

Band

Belfast

BelfastPunk

Bicep

Band

Belfast

Now: London

Local loreAndy and Matt met when they were eight years old.
BelfastElectronicHouseTechno

Phil Kieran

Solo

Belfast

BelfastElectronicTechnoAmbient

Owen Denvir

Solo

Belfast

Local loreHis three-EP project Sticks, Stones and Bones drew on Freud's theory of personality.
BelfastIndieFolkSinger-Songwriter

Sasha Samara

Solo

Belfast

Now: London

BelfastIndiePop

Neil Martin

Solo

Belfast

Local loreHis music has been played on the International Space Station.
BelfastTraditionalClassical

Michael McHale

Solo

Belfast

Now: Touring internationally

Local loreOscar winner Mahershala Ali narrated his trio's album Portraits.
BelfastClassical

Scott Flanigan

Solo

Belfast

BelfastJazz

Chalk

Band

Belfast

Local loreThey recorded their Conditions III EP in remote northern Iceland.
BelfastPost-PunkElectronic

Enola Gay

Band

Belfast

Local loreIggy Pop is a fan.
BelfastPunkElectronicHip-Hop

Wynona Bleach

Band

Belfast

Local loreThey recorded their debut with Bill Ryder-Jones in an abandoned warehouse in Portugal.
BelfastAlternativeShoegaze

Dea Matrona

Band

Formed in Belfast

BelfastRockBlues Rock

New Pagans

Band

Based in Belfast

Now: Belfast

BelfastAlternativePost-PunkIndie Rock

Beauty Sleep

Band

Belfast

BelfastIndiePop

Robocobra Quartet

Band

Belfast

BelfastJazzPunkExperimental

Huartan

Band

West Belfast

BelfastTraditionalElectronicFolk

Careerist

Band

Belfast

BelfastIndie RockRock

Junk Drawer

Band

Belfast

BelfastIndiePsychedelic

Dom Martin

Solo

Belfast

BelfastBluesRock

Max Cooper

Solo

Born in Belfast

BelfastElectronicExperimental

Space Dimension Controller

Solo

Belfast

BelfastElectronicHouseAmbientTechno

Stormzone

Band

Belfast

BelfastMetalRock

Gráinne Holland

Solo

Belfast

BelfastTraditionalFolkSinger-Songwriter

Joby Fox

Solo

Belfast

BelfastSinger-Songwriter

Brian Houston

Solo

Belfast

BelfastSinger-SongwriterFolk

Barry Douglas

Solo

Belfast

BelfastClassical

Heather Harper

Solo

Belfast

BelfastClassical1930 – 2019

Howard Ferguson

Solo

Belfast

BelfastClassical1908 – 1999

Philip Hammond

Solo

Belfast

BelfastClassical

Robin Mark

Solo

Belfast (musical base)

Now: Belfast

BelfastSinger-Songwriter

Rebekah Fitch

Solo

Belfast

BelfastPopElectronicExperimental

Esmeralda Road

Band

Belfast

BelfastIndieJazz

Córas Trio

Band

Belfast (formation)

BelfastTraditionalExperimentalElectronic

California Irish

Band

Belfast

BelfastFolkCountryRock

Calibre

Solo

Belfast

BelfastElectronic

Fruupp

Band

Belfast

BelfastRockLegacy

Slomatics

Band

Belfast (band base)

BelfastMetalExperimental

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