Visitors have Belfast’s music scene at their fingertips

Visitors to Belfast now have all the latest information about the city’s music scene literally at their fingertips.

Belfast City Council is using the very latest technology to promote the city’s thriving music scene, by launching the world’s first iPhone app on the subject.  It accompanies a new website, www.belfastmusic.org, an expanded Belfast Music exhibition at the Oh Yeah Music Centre in the city’s Cathedral Quarter, and a weekly music bus tour of the city’s musical landscape.

As more and more people use their mobile phones to find out information, the free ‘Belfast Music’ iPhone app allows local music fans and visitors alike to find out not only what’s happening on the scene at the moment but also to explore the city’s rich musical heritage. 

The app features an interactive music tour, narrated by BBC broadcaster Stuart Bailie, and featuring a soundtrack by the likes of David Holmes, Neil Hannon and the Ulster Orchestra, Rudi, The Undertones, Ash, Therapy? and many more; a Hall Of Fame, introducing the user to Belfast’s music legends; up to the minute gig listings and news, making sure music lovers don’t miss a beat by their favourite band; and a showcase section, introducing the best in contemporary Belfast music.

A dedicated new website, www.belfastmusic.org, is also being launched at the same time as the app.  The website also features constantly updated gig listings, allowing gig goers to quickly find hundreds of music events across Belfast, from intimate singer-songwriter nights to classical recitals and rock concerts, as well as local music news, podcasts, tracks from the latest bands and exclusive music videos.  Users can also sign up for regular e-bulletins, making sure they don’t miss a note of Belfast’s best music.

Alongside the app and website, an exhibition telling the story of the Belfast music scene has been greatly expanded.  Originally opened in April 2009, the Belfast Music exhibition at the Oh Yeah centre, in the city’s historic Cathedral Quarter, has added more memorabilia and storyboards, adding the stories of the showbands, traditional music, rock and the modern dance culture to those of the blues and punk eras. 

The Belfast Music app, www.belfastmusic.org and the Belfast Music exhibition have been part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland and administered by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB).

The popular Belfast Music Tour also has been relaunched for the summer.  The tour takes in many of the landmarks associated with the Belfast music story, including the birthplaces of the likes of Ruby Murray, Van Morrison, Brian Kennedy, Gary Moore and Duke Special, as well as the places that inspired their songs and the venues which put the city on the international music map, from the Ulster Hall to the Limelight, the Maritime Hotel to Queen’s University.

“Internationally, cultural tourism is developing into one of the fastest-growing and most sustainable aspects of the tourism industry, accounting for over 40 per cent of all world travel,” explained Councillor Conor Maskey, Chairman of Belfast City Council’s Development Committee.

“Recent research shows that 21 per cent of potential visitors are inspired to choose a destination because of the music or bands of that country and 49 per cent of visitors are very likely to go to live music concerts or events.

“More and more visitors are being drawn by our rich literary, musical and artistic traditions.  We are welcoming a new breed of traveller who comes in search of a unique and memorable experience – they look for things which mark a destination out from others.

“Music and musicians, solo artists and bands are often someone’s first introduction to the unique appeals of a city and we are aiming to capitalise on this,” continued Councillor Maskey. 

“Belfast’s music receives high international praise and our latest generation of musicians are playing a crucial role in revitalising the city.  Our city is now lit up throughout the year with a fantastic packed calendar of events. Every night of the week, venues in the city are busy with local bands, DJs, traditional musicians, orchestras, jazz players and songwriters.

“Our new tourism strategy aims to establish a strong reputation for Belfast as a vibrant European city with unique experiences and highlights that music tourism should be developed as an authentic experience to ensure that Belfast has a competitive edge. 

“Increasingly, this is an art form that is defining the new mood of Belfast and our new initiatives aim to profile and promote Belfast’s reputation as the birthplace of great music.  Based on leading case studies, from Nashville to Liverpool, our series of initiatives aims to highlight Belfast and its artists to the widest international audience, and contribute to creative industries by increasing the number of Belfast musicians doing business internationally.

“Our plan has been significantly enhanced through the successful application to NITB’s Tourism Innovation Fund which contributed a further £140,000 and new partnerships that Belfast City Council has formed with the Arts Council, the BBC and Tourism Ireland. 

“A recent report commissioned by Northern Ireland Tourist Board, highlighted that music is a key part of our cultural offering, and foreign and domestic tourists now spend in excess of £100 million on cultural and recreational events each year and domestic tourists spending more than £32 million on tickets to concerts and music festivals.   Tourism Ireland also has identified music tourism as a key driver for Belfast,” concluded Councillor Maskey.