← All events
music · Wednesday 19 August 2026 · 7:00pm 
The Wailers - Mandela Hall Belfast
At Mandela Hall · Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim
At Mandela Hall · Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The Wailers are one of the few bands whose history is genuinely inseparable from a chapter of music history. As the group who performed and recorded alongside Bob Marley, they carry a catalogue that most acts could never dream of touching. This August they bring that catalogue to one of Belfast’s best live rooms - Mandela Hall, in the Queen’s Quarter - on the first night of a three-date Irish summer run. If reggae is on your radar, this is not a show to talk yourself out of.
The Wailers continue to tour internationally, performing the classic tracks that defined roots reggae alongside their own material. Hits from across the Marley era sit at the heart of any Wailers set - think No Woman, No Cry, Redemption Song, One Love - delivered by musicians who were there, or who have carried that tradition forward with the same level of craft.
Mandela Hall itself is worth knowing about. Opened originally in 1967 and completely rebuilt in 2022 as part of Queen’s University’s new Student Union, it is now considered one of the finest live venues in Belfast. The room holds up to 1,000 standing and has a state-of-the-art sound system, proper acoustic treatment, and a reputation earned across decades - The Clash, U2 and Radiohead have all played here. It holds the Musician’s Union’s Fair Play certification, which means artists are treated and paid properly, and that tends to show in the quality of what ends up on the stage.
Belfast is the first date on the Irish run; Cork follows on 20 August and Dublin on 21 August.
Mandela Hall is on Elmwood Avenue in the Queen’s Quarter, about a 20-minute walk south from Belfast city centre. Belfast is well served by road and rail - Enterprise trains run from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Lanyon Place in roughly two hours, with regular services daily. From Dublin by car it is approximately two hours via the M1/A1. Translink Metro buses run from the city centre out through the University area. Street parking around the venue is limited on event nights; the city centre car parks are a better bet and the walk in is straightforward.
The Queen’s Quarter has good restaurants and pubs within easy reach of the venue, and if you’re staying over, the Cathedral Quarter is worth an evening. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to Mandela Hall in Belfast? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Belfast area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.