29 Artists Taking Part In The 2022 Belfast City Blues Festival

Running from June 24-26, the Guinness Belfast City Blues Festival will be taking place in venues across the city, coming back in full swing after a virtual event in 2020 and a successful run in 2021/22 at The Guinness Blues Café at the Deer’s Head.

The three-day festival allows for both established and budding blues artists to demonstrate their talents across 24 venues, with audiences being able to pick from almost 70 gigs across the last weekend of June.

The Belfast Blues Festival 2022 is dedicated to the late Rab McCullough, Belfast blues legend, in addition to paying tribute to two of the festival’s major contributors over the years,  Gregory “Murph The Blues Brother” McGeown and James “Jamesy” Carson. 

This year, the Blues Festival is also supporting The People’s Kitchen, a Belfast-based charity which runs a food bank, delivers food to people in need all over the city, and supplies clothes and advice to families in need and those who are homeless.

Here are the 29 artists performing over the weekend:

1. The Rev Doc & The Flying Squad

Friday 24th June – Kelly’s Cellars

3.30pm – 6.30pm | Free Admission

2. Crow Black Chicken

Friday 24th June – Black Box

8pm | Admission £13

3. The Ronnie Greer Band

Friday 24th June – Granny Annies 

4pm – 6pm | Free Admission

4. Mike Wilgar & The Crack Pot Preachers

Friday 24th June – Ulster Sports Club

4.30pm – 7pm | Free Admission

5. Kick The Bucket Blues Band

Friday 24th June – The Dirty Onion

4.30pm – 6.30pm | Free Admission

Sunday 26th June – Ulster Sports Club 

3.30pm – 6pm

6. Frank Carberry Blues Set 

Friday 24th June – 2 Taps Restaurant

4.00pm – 6.30pm | Table Bookings Essential

Saturday 25th June – St George’s Market

11.00am – 2.30pm | Free Admission

7. Speedy Mullan Blues Band 

Friday 24th June – Whites Garden

4.00pm – 6.30pm | Free Admission

Saturday 25th – The John Hewitt

3.30pm – 6pm | Free Admission

8. The Robin BiBi Band

Friday 24th – The John Hewitt

9.30pm – Late | Free Admission

Saturday 25th June – The Dirty Onion

4pm – 6.30pm | Free Admission

Saturday 25th June – Common Market

9pm – 11pm | Free Admission

Sunday 26th June – Granny Annies

4pm – 6pm | Free Admission

End Of Festival Wrap Party with Special Guests – all profits to The People’s Kitchen

Sunday 26th June – The Deer’s Head

Doors 7pm | Admission £10

9. The Unholy Gospel Band

Friday 24th June – Common Market

6.30pm – 8.30pm | Free Admission

10. Otis & The Elevators

Friday 24th June – FLAXX…Social Village

6.30pm – 9pm | Free Admission

11. The Red Hot Roosters

Saturday 25th June – Kelly’s Cellars

3.30pm – 6pm | Free Admission

The Annual Rock n Roll Party

Sunday 26th – The John Hewitt 

3pm – 6pm | Free Admission

12. The Pat McManus Band

Remembering Rory

Saturday 25th June – Black Box

Doors 1pm | Admission £14

13. Sam Davidson’s Taste

Remembering Rory

Saturday 25th June – Black Box

Doors 1pm | Admission £14

14. The Willie Byrne Band

Remembering Rory

Saturday 25th June – Black Box

Doors 1pm | Admission £14

15. Symply Skynyrd

Saturday 25th June – Black Box

Doors 8.30pm | Admission £12

16. The Rev Doc Duo

Dedicated to Rab McCullough

Saturday 25th June – Ramada By Wyndham

9pm – Late | Free Admission

17. The Chris Taplin Blues Band

Saturday 25th June – Granny Annies

4pm – 6pm | Free Admission

Saturday 25th June – 39 Gordon Street

8pm – 10.30pm | Free Admission

Sunday 26th June – The Dirty Onion

4pm – 6.30pm | Free Admission

18. Tony Villiers & The Villains

Saturday 25th June – The Deer’s Head

Doors 2pm | Admission £10

19. Backbone Blues Band

Saturday 25th June – Ulster Sports Club

4pm – 6.30pm

20. Davy Watson Solo

Saturday 25th June – 2 Taps Restaurant

4pm – 6.30pm | Table Bookings Essential

21. Ian Sands & The Blues Katz

Saturday 25th June – Whites Garden

3.30pm – 6pm | Free Admission

Sunday 26th June – 39 Gordon Street

4pm – 6.30pm | Free Admission

22. The Ronnie Greer Band Featuring Anthony Toner

Saturday 25th June – FLAXX…Social Village

4.30pm – 7pm | Free Admission

23. The Sabrejets

Sunday 26th June – Kelly’s Cellars

3.30pm – 6pm | Free Admission

24. LIGHT

Belfast’s Finest – An Afternoon With The Amazing LIGHT

Sunday 26th June – Black Box

Doors 1pm | Admission £10

25. Dom Martin & His Band

Sunday 26th June – The Deer’s Head

Doors 2pm | Admission £12

26. Brian Mc Kenna’s Swing Tribute

Sunday 26th June – St George’s Market

11.00am – 2.30pm | Free Admission

27. Terry Sharpe & Co

Sunday 26th June – 2 Taps Restaurant 

4.00pm – 6.30pm | Table Booking Essential

28. Taylor Sisk & Co

Soul R&B Review

Sunday 26th June – Whites Garden

3.30pm – 6pm | Free Admission

29. The Lee Hedley Band

Sunday 26th June – Common Market

1.30pm – 3.30pm | Free Admission
For more information, festival listings and tickets log onto belfastcitybluesfest.com or connect with the Belfast City Blues Festival official Facebook page.