What's On

What’s on in Northern Ireland

Discover what’s on in Northern Ireland for visual arts with our definitive events guide: from Belfast’s cutting-edge gallery exhibitions at the MAC and Catalyst Arts to immersive printmaking workshops in Derry’s historic Guildhall Quarter, plus open-studio weekends across County Antrim and pop-up sculpture trails on the Ards Peninsula. Explore artist-led masterclasses in the Causeway Coast’s dramatic landscapes, behind-the-scenes curator talks at Tannaghmore Gardens in Lisburn, and family-friendly mural festivals in Newry. Our Northern Ireland visual-arts roundup brings you weekly updates on gallery openings, limited-edition craft fairs, collaborative installation projects, and exclusive preview nights—perfect for collectors, creatives, and culture lovers alike. Stay in the loop with insider exhibition tips, early-bird tickets to specialist workshops, and curated exhibition tours that showcase both emerging talents and renowned artists. Elevate your Ulster art experience today with our all-in-one “What’s On” resource.

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Drawn Together | Richard Croft at Ards Arts Centre

Drawn Together | Richard Croft at Ards Arts Centre

26/02/2026 - 21/03/2026
Ards Arts Centre
Conway Square, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 4NP

For this exhibition organised and curated before Richard Croft’s passing last year, the focus is on drawing and how this was used by the artist to sketch, record and develop compositions for paintings and prints. For much of his adult life, drawing was central to his art practice, as can be seen in the numerous sketchbooks kept on an almost daily basis over 70 years.

In this mini-retrospective, a number of drawings with their corresponding paintings and prints are brought together, some for the first time, enabling us to see how the artist explored landscape and still life, often developed through series into abstraction.

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Closing
twixt | Group Exhibition at Atypical Gallery

twixt | Group Exhibition at Atypical Gallery

14/01/2026 - 25/02/2026
10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Atypical Gallery
109-113 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1FF

Edel Murphy, CEO and Artistic Director says that ‘twixt takes its name from the notion of being in between, at an interval and interweaving. Recipients of our d/Deaf and Disabled Support Fund grant programme have used the funding to deliver new pathways towards their own goals, some artists pursuing experimental directions or new ambitions – each at their own stage of development and discovery between concept and realisation.

Read more →
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE WAS NOT TRUE | Group Exhibition at Catalyst Arts

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE WAS NOT TRUE | Group Exhibition at Catalyst Arts

05/02/2026 - 26/02/2026
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Catalyst arts
6 joys entry , Belfast

Our annual members group show.

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Maps, Art, Science, History | Group Exhibition at ArtisAnn Gallery

Maps, Art, Science, History | Group Exhibition at ArtisAnn Gallery

04/02/2026 - 28/02/2026
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
ArtisAnn Gallery
70 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, County Antrim, BT5 5AE

Artists and Scientists Celebrate Maps for Science Festival Show.

A Group Show Celebrating the Use of Maps.

Part of NI Science Festival.

Late Night Opening: WED 4th February from 6 to 8pm.

Maps have always been the foundation of how humans understood their surroundings. Historians and Artists make use of the science of maps to interpret and comment on the world.

The artists and scientists in the show use maps in different ways to highlight how the earth and space can be underst

Read more →
FSTOPNI | Group Exhibition at Larne Museum & Arts Centre

FSTOPNI | Group Exhibition at Larne Museum & Arts Centre

16/02/2026 - 28/02/2026
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Larne Museum & Arts Centre
2 Victoria Road, Larne, Antrim, BT40 1RN, Northern Ireland

Exhibition continues from 06/02/2026 to 28/02/2026.

FSTOPNI Exhibition 2026.

Friday 6th – Saturday 28th February 2026.

An exhibition featuring a range of beautiful photography created by members of FSTOPNI.

The exhibition will be on display from Friday 6th until Saturday 28th February and includes Saturday opening on 28th February only. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10.00am – 4.00pm.

Read more →
A Bridge Between Times | Birch Besom at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

A Bridge Between Times | Birch Besom at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

22/01/2026 - 05/03/2026
11:00 am - 4:30 pm
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
216 Falls Rd, Belfast, BT12 6AH

A Bridge Between Times is not merely an exhibition; it is a living archive, a whispered conversation between the past, present, and future of Fort Dunree. Begun in 2023, this body of work emerges from a deep, collaborative engagement with a site poised on the cusp of permanent transformation. As artists rooted in Inishowen, we felt an urgent need to document not just the physicality of the fort, but the intangible layers of memory, identity, and quiet resilience that resonate within its fabric, before they are reshaped by significant investment and a new public narrative.
Please check with Cultúrlann directly about daily opening times.

Read more →
Past Tense: f r a g m e n t e d | Claire Callinan at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

Past Tense: f r a g m e n t e d | Claire Callinan at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

22/01/2026 - 05/03/2026
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
216 Falls Rd, Belfast, BT12 6AH

“Past tense: f r a g m e n t e d” tackles our personal loss of innocence as we transition through life and, inevitably, our inability to reclaim it. It also focuses on the loss of memory as one ages or, in some cases, develops dementia and often reverts to childlike tendencies – this time with a layer of decay as opposed to innocence. While these stages are universal experiences, they can be entirely isolating moments.

Read more →
The Collectors: Unified Diversity | Group Exhibition at R-Space Gallery

The Collectors: Unified Diversity | Group Exhibition at R-Space Gallery

07/02/2026 - 06/03/2026
R-Space Gallery
32 Castle Street, Lisburn, County Down, BT27 4XE

Opening: Saturday 7 February, 2-4pm
Talk and Q&A session ‘Collecting contemporary art’ at the opening, 2.30-3.30pm

‘The Collectors: Unified Diversity’ brings together four passionate collectors based in Northern Ireland – Neil Harvey, Ian Pitt, Tara Simpson and David Turner. This exhibition presents a curated selection of works from their collections, showcasing their unique voices and collecting journeys. Emerging artists from Northern Ireland – Ian Cumberland, Alana Barton, Jane Rainey among them, are shown alongside internationally renowned artists Banksy, Phil Frost, Barry McGee and other established names.

Read more →
On-going
DISASTERS AND INTERVENTIONS | Oliver Jeffers at The Naughton Gallery

DISASTERS AND INTERVENTIONS | Oliver Jeffers at The Naughton Gallery

08/12/2025 - 29/03/2026
The Naughton Gallery
Lanyon Building, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN

Exhibition continues from the 4th of December 2025 to the 29th of March 2026.

Each piece in the exhibition involves the artist intervening in some way on a found image. Although collage has long been part of Jeffers’ approach, both the disaster paintings and the intervention works differ from traditional collage: rather than cutting up found material for its colour or specific imagery, Jeffers uses the entirety of the original scene, adding a new element that completely alters the depicted narrative.

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twixt | Group Exhibition at Atypical Gallery

twixt | Group Exhibition at Atypical Gallery

14/01/2026 - 25/02/2026
10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Atypical Gallery
109-113 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1FF

Edel Murphy, CEO and Artistic Director says that ‘twixt takes its name from the notion of being in between, at an interval and interweaving. Recipients of our d/Deaf and Disabled Support Fund grant programme have used the funding to deliver new pathways towards their own goals, some artists pursuing experimental directions or new ambitions – each at their own stage of development and discovery between concept and realisation.

Read more →
I Find Myself | Barbara Steveni at Void Art Centre

I Find Myself | Barbara Steveni at Void Art Centre

17/01/2026 - 04/04/2026
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Void Art Centre
10 Waterloo Place, Derry, BT48 6BU

The life and work of Barbara Steveni (1928–2020), who described herself as an artist–activist, embodied an archive and pioneered a diffused art practice that resists clear definition.  The importance of Steveni’s role in the Artist Placement Group (APG) was often marginalised by gender-inflected terms such as ‘honorary secretary’, her practice is rarely recognised as having a value in its own right. This exhibition intends to redress this imbalance and encompass her life’s work, drawing together her practice and her experimentation with materials, media and strategies across a career spanning more than seventy years.

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IT’S NOT CLEAR FROM HERE | Group Exhibition at CCA Derry~Londonderry

IT’S NOT CLEAR FROM HERE | Group Exhibition at CCA Derry~Londonderry

17/01/2026 - 14/03/2026
12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Centre for Contemporary Art Derry~Londonderry
10–12 Artillery St, Derry-Londonderry, BT48 6RG

IT’S NOT CLEAR FROM HERE draws on archival material and lens-based media to explore how images are shaped by time, technology and the act of looking. The exhibition considers the gallery as a space where narratives shift and meaning is continually re-formed. Archives are unearthed and disrupted, environments seep into the gallery space, and obsolete technologies are reanimated. Across photography and film, the works reflect on technological change, environmental crisis and questions of belonging, presenting images as unstable, partial and often elusive.

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A Bridge Between Times | Birch Besom at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

A Bridge Between Times | Birch Besom at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

22/01/2026 - 05/03/2026
11:00 am - 4:30 pm
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
216 Falls Rd, Belfast, BT12 6AH

A Bridge Between Times is not merely an exhibition; it is a living archive, a whispered conversation between the past, present, and future of Fort Dunree. Begun in 2023, this body of work emerges from a deep, collaborative engagement with a site poised on the cusp of permanent transformation. As artists rooted in Inishowen, we felt an urgent need to document not just the physicality of the fort, but the intangible layers of memory, identity, and quiet resilience that resonate within its fabric, before they are reshaped by significant investment and a new public narrative.
Please check with Cultúrlann directly about daily opening times.

Read more →
Past Tense: f r a g m e n t e d | Claire Callinan at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

Past Tense: f r a g m e n t e d | Claire Callinan at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich

22/01/2026 - 05/03/2026
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
216 Falls Rd, Belfast, BT12 6AH

“Past tense: f r a g m e n t e d” tackles our personal loss of innocence as we transition through life and, inevitably, our inability to reclaim it. It also focuses on the loss of memory as one ages or, in some cases, develops dementia and often reverts to childlike tendencies – this time with a layer of decay as opposed to innocence. While these stages are universal experiences, they can be entirely isolating moments.

Read more →
The Lost Paintings: A Prelude to Return | Group Exhibition at The MAC

The Lost Paintings: A Prelude to Return | Group Exhibition at The MAC

23/01/2026 - 29/03/2026
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
The MAC
10 Exchange St, Belfast

This exhibition gathers 53 artists from Palestine and its diaspora across time and borders to reimagine the missing works of Maroun Tomb, a Palestinian-Lebanese artist, whose 1947 exhibition in Haifa was lost amid the mass displacement and dispossession of the Palestinians during the Nakba. The works resurrect a moment that was nearly erased until it was discovered in archival documents.

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A House of Play | Exhibition & Events at The Lyric Theatre

A House of Play | Exhibition & Events at The Lyric Theatre

02/02/2026 - 08/11/2026
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
The Lyric Theatre
55 Ridgeway Street , Belfast, BT9 5FB

Exhibition continues from 30/01/2026 to 08/11/2026.

To celebrate our 75th anniversary, the Lyric presents this new exhibition that showcases our rich history. A history which includes an art gallery (The New Gallery, 1963–1969), a literary magazine Threshold (1957–1990), a dance centre, a drama school, Belfast’s first music academy, and of course, a theatre.

Click here to view the full programme

Read more →
Maps, Art, Science, History | Group Exhibition at ArtisAnn Gallery

Maps, Art, Science, History | Group Exhibition at ArtisAnn Gallery

04/02/2026 - 28/02/2026
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
ArtisAnn Gallery
70 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, County Antrim, BT5 5AE

Artists and Scientists Celebrate Maps for Science Festival Show.

A Group Show Celebrating the Use of Maps.

Part of NI Science Festival.

Late Night Opening: WED 4th February from 6 to 8pm.

Maps have always been the foundation of how humans understood their surroundings. Historians and Artists make use of the science of maps to interpret and comment on the world.

The artists and scientists in the show use maps in different ways to highlight how the earth and space can be underst

Read more →
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE WAS NOT TRUE | Group Exhibition at Catalyst Arts

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE WAS NOT TRUE | Group Exhibition at Catalyst Arts

05/02/2026 - 26/02/2026
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Catalyst arts
6 joys entry , Belfast

Our annual members group show.

Read more →
The Collectors: Unified Diversity | Group Exhibition at R-Space Gallery

The Collectors: Unified Diversity | Group Exhibition at R-Space Gallery

07/02/2026 - 06/03/2026
R-Space Gallery
32 Castle Street, Lisburn, County Down, BT27 4XE

Opening: Saturday 7 February, 2-4pm
Talk and Q&A session ‘Collecting contemporary art’ at the opening, 2.30-3.30pm

‘The Collectors: Unified Diversity’ brings together four passionate collectors based in Northern Ireland – Neil Harvey, Ian Pitt, Tara Simpson and David Turner. This exhibition presents a curated selection of works from their collections, showcasing their unique voices and collecting journeys. Emerging artists from Northern Ireland – Ian Cumberland, Alana Barton, Jane Rainey among them, are shown alongside internationally renowned artists Banksy, Phil Frost, Barry McGee and other established names.

Read more →
Insight into the Other | Group Exhibition at Golden Thread Gallery

Insight into the Other | Group Exhibition at Golden Thread Gallery

14/02/2026 - 18/04/2026
11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Golden Thread Gallery
23-29 Queen Street, Belfast, BT1 6EA

An exhibition exchange between Belfast and Boston that looks at how place affects how we see art and each other. The exhibition invites people to think about difference, understanding, and shared experience through prints, collage, animations, drawings, sculptures and videos. Curated by Sam Toabe and Sarah McAvera, it asks if artworks can change meaning when shown in different countries and cultures. The works by artists connected to the University of Massachusetts Boston explore themes such as identity, work, migration, time, and loss. The exhibition encourages open thinking, empathy, and conversation across borders.

Read more →
FSTOPNI | Group Exhibition at Larne Museum & Arts Centre

FSTOPNI | Group Exhibition at Larne Museum & Arts Centre

16/02/2026 - 28/02/2026
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Larne Museum & Arts Centre
2 Victoria Road, Larne, Antrim, BT40 1RN, Northern Ireland

Exhibition continues from 06/02/2026 to 28/02/2026.

FSTOPNI Exhibition 2026.

Friday 6th – Saturday 28th February 2026.

An exhibition featuring a range of beautiful photography created by members of FSTOPNI.

The exhibition will be on display from Friday 6th until Saturday 28th February and includes Saturday opening on 28th February only. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10.00am – 4.00pm.

Read more →
Constellations: Selected Work from Crawford Art Gallery | Group Exhibition at F.E. McWilliam Gallery

Constellations: Selected Work from Crawford Art Gallery | Group Exhibition at F.E. McWilliam Gallery

23/02/2026 - 02/05/2026
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio
200 Newry Road, Banbridge, County Down, BT32 3NB

Exhibition continues from 14/02/2026 to 02/05/2026.

Crawford Art Gallery and F.E. McWilliam Gallery announce an exciting collaboration on a new exhibition of contemporary Irish art. Constellations: Selected Work from Crawford Art Gallery brings artworks from the Crawford Collection to the F.E. McWilliam Gallery in Northern Ireland. It is an exciting moment for both galleries to collaborate and connect audiences with contemporary Irish art. Featuring the work of 14 artists based on the island of Ireland, Constellations highlights the depth and richness of Crawford Art Gallery’s
contemporary holdings within Ireland’s National Collection.

Read more →