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.