The Black Box is a multi-purpose arts venue in the heart of Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, on the narrow cobbled Hill Street. Describing itself as a home for music, theatre, literature, comedy, film, visual and live art, circus and cabaret, it has become one of the leading lights of the city's cultural scene. It is housed in a Grade II listed building dating from around 1850, on a street first recorded on a 1757 map of Belfast as an entry known as Pott-House Lane. The property was acquired before 1900 by the English brewers Bass, Ratcliff and Gretton, whose warehouse here survived the heavy bombardment of the Belfast Blitz in 1941. The venue opened in 2006, initially as a temporary, fringe-style theatre space intended to serve while a larger dedicated arts centre was built nearby on Talbot Street. That temporary project proved so successful that it became permanent, while the planned Metropolitan Arts Centre opened separately in 2012. Over the years the Black Box has hosted a remarkable range of names, from actor Tim Robbins and musician Edwyn Collins to authors such as Chuck Palahniuk and Will Self. Its main room, a flexible space with a large stage and well-stocked bar, is praised for being at once spacious and intimate, suiting almost any kind of act. A second space, the Green Room, hosts smaller events and DJ sets, including appearances by the acclaimed Belfast producer David Holmes. The venue plays a central role in the city's festival calendar, from the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival and Out to Lunch to the Belfast Comedy Festival and Culture Night. Run as a not-for-profit and beloved by audiences and artists alike, the Black Box has spent close to two decades at the centre of the Cathedral Quarter, the historic heart of Belfast's trade and warehousing district. Its dedication to accessibility, quality and a wide artistic remit has made it one of the city's most distinctive cultural spaces.

Type: Theater / Concert Hall

Address: 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast, United Kingdom, BT1 2LA

Website: https://www.blackboxbelfast.com

Opening Date: 01/01/2006