CQAF2026 - Thursday 30 April Archives

Belfast: A Phenomenal Music City (Walking Tour)

Posted on 6th March 20269th April 2026 by site_admin

Book this fascinating 90-minute evening tour around the Cathedral Quarter to explore Belfast’s rich music scene. Your specialist guide from Creative Tours Belfast will introduce you to some of the city’s best-known musicians and bands, as well as some rising stars to follow.

There’ll be entertaining stories aplenty along the way. You’ll also hear a little about Belfast’s rich musical heritage and the city’s different musical traditions and their roots. Anecdotes will be shared about iconic music moments and key festivals – past and present.

The tour will touch on a wide range of music genres, including electronic, traditional, jazz, rock, pop, rap, punk and more. Music clips will be played along the way from a curated playlist!

Starting outside 2 Royal Avenue, a popular cultural venue, we’ll then take in historic pubs, popular clubs, Belfast’s oldest church building that has strong music links across centuries, a legendary venue in the city’s late ’70s punk scene, an open-air performance space, and the Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast’s own dedicated music hub.

This evening walk will let you explore a great music city, worthy of its 2021 designation as a UNESCO City of Music. It may whet your appetite to continue the evening by experiencing a live music event for yourself – maybe even from the CQAF programme.

The tour will take place in all weathers, so please come prepared! Meet outside 2RA a few minutes before the 6pm start time. The tour will end at 7.30pm on Hill Street.

Louis Theroux In Conversation

Posted on 6th February 202614th April 2026 by site_admin

In conversation with Louis Theroux, joined by special guest interviewer Kathryn Ferguson.

In this special event, CQAF welcomes Louis Theroux to Belfast, as he hands over the interviewer’s mic as he steps into the hot seat for a lively, free-flowing conversation. Celebrated for his unassuming charm and gentle interviewing style, Louis has spent decades exploring some of the world’s most intriguing subcultures, controversial topics and compelling personalities. His documentaries are marked by empathy, curiosity and uncovering the human stories at the heart of every subject.

From BAFTA-winning series Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekend to When Louis Met…. Louis’s documentaries have discussed complex and social issues, shining the light on human behaviours and beliefs, all in his own unique and charming manner.

Starting on Michael Moore’s ‘TV Nation’ after graduating from Oxford, Louis soon forged his own path with a series of groundbreaking documentaries. His feature-length film’ My Scientology Movie’ and his recent Louis Theroux podcast continue his tradition of thoughtful, in-depth storytelling with guests such as Marina Abramovic and Michael Palin. Winning numerous awards, including three BAFTA’s, Louis is known for his compassionate questioning style and informal approach, allowing people from all walks of life to be heard, giving their story a platform and exploring the intricate aspects of human life.

Now, Louis will bring the same insight, wit, and curiosity to CQAF for a special one-off appearance.

About Kathryn Ferguson:

Kathryn Ferguson is a Belfast-born, Emmy & Bafta-nominated director and writer acclaimed for her bold, boundary-pushing documentaries. In 2022, she received the inaugural BFI & Chanel Award for Creative Audacity, and her debut feature Nothing Compares (Sundance 2022) won multiple awards including two BIFA’s and an IFTA and earned over thirty nominations, including an Emmy and Critics Choice. Her second feature, Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes (Universal), was released in US cinemas in 2024, following her BAFTA Breakthrough recognition in 2023. She previously directed award winning documentary shorts including BAFTA longlisted Taking the Waters (Sheffield DocFest 2018) and Space to Be (Guardian Docs, 2021).

In 2024, she co-founded Tara Films with producer Eleanor Emptage; their latest, Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story, premiered at TIFF 2024, and the company is currently developing a slate of non-fiction and drama projects. Alongside her film work, Ferguson has directed campaigns for Nike, Selfridges, Amnesty International, and Air France, and collaborated with artists such as Lady Gaga and Neneh Cherry. Her first drama short Nostalgie, made in collaboration with Film4 and shot by Robbie Ryan was recently nominated for both the BAFTA and IFTA 2026 for Best Short Film winning the IFTA.

Accessibility: If you have any questions about accessibility at the event, please feel free to contact aoife@cqaf.com

Travel info for the venue:

Assembly Buildings Conference Centre,
2-10 Fisherwick Place, Belfast, BT1 6DW

CAR PARKING
The Great Northern Car Park is within 2 minutes walk of the Assembly Buildings Conference Centre.

TRAINS & BUS
The Grand Central Station serves all locations in Northern Ireland and Dublin City and is located behind the Europa Hotel.

The Unthanks

Posted on 6th March 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

The Unthanks are a unique band described as “a take on tradition that flips so effortlessly between jazz, classical, ambient and post-rock, it makes any attempt to put a label on them a waste of time”.

At the nucleus of this constantly evolving unit is the traditional upbringing of Tyneside sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank and the arrangements and writing of Barnsley composer, pianist and producer, Adrian McNally.

Using the traditional music of the North East of England as a starting point, the influence of Miles Davis, Steve Reich, Sufjan Stevens, King Crimson and Tom Waits can be heard in the band’s 14 records to date, earning them a Mercury Music Prize nomination and international acclaim along the way.

The Unthanks have journeyed through an extraordinarily range of musical forms on their 20+ year career so far and still continue to find new ways to engage with audiences.

“The Unthanks are capable of such beauty that sometimes I can hardly bear to listen to them” Martin Freeman

This event takes place in a licensed venue therefore, admission is ages 18+

Bad Bridget, with Leanne McCormick and Elaine Farrell

Posted on 23rd January 202619th April 2026 by site_admin

Due to demand, this show has moved venue to The Black Box, Hill Street, Belfast City Centre.

Join us for a lunchtime talk by Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick, authors of the number 1 bestselling book, Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women.” Hear about women’s experiences of poverty and hardships, their criminal escapades, and their defiance and resistance on the streets and courtrooms of nineteenth and early-twentieth-century New York, Boston and Toronto.

Leanne McCormick is Professor of Modern Irish History at Ulster University, and co-chair of the Independent Truth Recovery Panel for Northern Ireland.

Elaine Farrell is Professor of Irish History at Queen’s University Belfast and is currently writing a book on secrets in nineteenth-century Ireland.

Together they lead the Bad Bridget project, which focuses on Irish women in North America who found themselves on the wrong side of the law in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The project includes a popular podcast starring Siobhán McSweeney, a #1 best-selling book, Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women (Penguin Sandycove, 2023), and an exhibition at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh (2022-2026).

Also available via Zoom, if you would like to access the talk via Zoom, you can purchase tickets here:

https://cliftonhousebelfast.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873682367

The Stray Gaiters: The Music of Neil Young

Posted on 25th March 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

It is now 60 years since Neil Young first emerged, astounding everyone with his remarkable song writing and soulful singing. The Stray Gaiters (named after the band of session players put together for the recording of “Harvest”), will take you on a trip through Young’s extensive and varied catalogue of wonderful songs, with respect and passion.

The Stray Gaiters deliver the atmosphere and energy of Neil Young’s live performances. They don’t imitate the great man – they put their personal stamp on his many and varied songs, capturing their spirit and distinctiveness in their own way.

The band journey through Young’s 60-year career with a repertoire that includes songs from Harvest, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, After The Gold Rush, Deja Vu, On the Beach, Zuma, Long May You Run, American Stars ‘n’ Bars, Comes a Time, Rust Never Sleeps, Freedom, Rockin In The Free World, Heart Of Gold and Harvest Moon.

Carsie Blanton + Special Guests The Burning Hell

Posted on 4th December 202526th March 2026 by site_admin

The American songwriter and activist Carsie Blanton releases the song ‘Little Flame’ on Friday, December 5th, 2025. The song features the unmistakable harmonies of Ye Vagabonds and will be on Blanton’s upcoming album, Red Album Vol. II.

The artist comes to CQAF at The Duncairn as part of a national tour in April and May and with a busy summer festival schedule ahead.

With her unique mix of humour, craft, and social critique, Blanton has amassed a small menagerie of viral hits (Rich People, Shit List, Fishin’ With You) and a dedicated fan base. In addition to fifteen years on the road with her band, Blanton volunteers as a political organizer, and was recently published in The Nation.

In recent years, Blanton has been fully adopted as one of Ireland’s own. As a left-wing artist who leans towards political songs, she writes everything from jaw-dropping love songs to heartbreakingly honest reflections of the times we live in.

‘Little Flame’ is a truly special song that serves as a symbol of hope and courage in hard times. Written over a year ago, this song was sung by Blanton and her shipmates most days on the Paola I – the boat they were on as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla mission to Gaza in September.

Ultimately, ‘Little Flame’ is a song that belongs to everyone – it has a life of its own and its own purpose. This is evident by the many covers of the song that went viral; covers by the likes of Maria Doyle Kennedy, Áine Tyrell and Cian Finn, Roesy and Clare Sands.

‘Little Flame’ is a song that has brought hope and courage in dark times, not just for Carsie Blanton, but for many who have heard and sung it – “I feel honored to be allowed to carry it,” concludes Blanton.

Laraaji

Posted on 12th December 202526th March 2026 by site_admin

Based in New York City, Laraaji began playing music on the streets in the 1970s, improvising trance-inducing jams on a modified autoharp processed through various electronic effects.

Influential British musician and record producer Brian Eno saw him playing one night in Washington Square Park and invited him to record an album of ambient music at his studio. Laraaji went on to release a prolific series of albums for a wide variety of labels, many of which he recorded himself at home and sold as cassettes during his street performances.

In recent years his profile has enjoyed a renaissance via a series of new and reissued recordings on the All Saints label, as well as worldwide performances, laughter meditation workshops and deep listening sessions.

A bona fide legend of ambient, experimental music, it is a privilege to welcome this remarkable man to Belfast for the very first time. Truly unmissable.

Inaekkum

Posted on 25th March 202626th March 2026 by site_admin

A four-piece synth-rock band from Daegu, South Korea. Known for their poetic lyrics and unadorned vocals, they blend J-rock and Brit rock influences to create a confessional indie sound, highlighted in their 2025 album Organic Tender.

Hailing from the Daegu indie scene, inaekkum is a four-piece collective crafting the soundtrack to a “pastel-coloured dream.”

Blending the expansive textures of post-rock with the melodic sensibility of J-rock and Brit-pop, their music explores the delicate balance between loss and recovery.

Known for their self-produced visuals and immersive live soundscapes, inaekkum invites listeners into a space where unadorned vocals meet shimmering synths. Experience the rising stars of the South Korean indie wave.

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Category: CQAF2026 – Thursday 30 April