9 Best Nightlife in Northern Ireland

On Friday and Saturday nights, Alibi comes alive upstairs for clubbers and local nighthawks. Downstairs, from 5 to 10 pm, the bar serves pizzas or chips while the prosecco flows on Friday.

Down by the river south of the university, this bar and upstairs restaurant is at its best on summer evenings and during live music performances featuring acoustic guitar and classic rock on Friday or Saturday after 6 pm. Food is served until 9 pm. Spacious and light inside, it rarely gets too packed; if seating is limited, try the picnic tables and chairs on the wooden deck outside.

A massive statue of Lenin above the front door greets patrons of the undisputed center of the Belfast gay scene. The over-the-top Soviet theme continues inside. Superstar DJs regularly fly in to perform.

A popular locals' favorite near the Castle Court mall, Madden's has live music nightly and traditional tune fests with set dancing on Wednesday night.

Traditional Irish and folk music sessions are held most nights in the main downstairs bar. There's a different musical personality in the nightclub Gweedore Upstairs, where you're likely to hear everything from indie and house music to rock and chart disco.

A must for every traveler, this bar named after one of Ulster's most famous poets (who ironically wasn't a big drinker) is traditional in style with a marble counter, waist-high wooden paneling, high ceilings, and open fire. It channels Hewitt's socialist sensibility, as it's owned by the Belfast Unemployed Centre (which it helps fund with its profits)—top pub grub is served from noon to 4 pm and live music is featured most nights. Irish artisanal cider and bottled craft beers are the most popular.

Moody black-and-white framed portraits of famous Irish novelists, poets, and playwrights such as Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw adorn the walls of this liquor lounge and taphouse, popular with students and visitors. Sip a glass of wine or beer and reflect on the words of Wilde, who said, "Alcohol, taken in sufficient quantities, may produce all the effects of drunkenness." Live bar entertainment features acoustic acts from Thursday to Sunday, while the huge Time nightclub on the first and second floors is open Friday and Saturday nights with music from local DJs.

A quintessential slice of city life, Tinney's is one of Derry's oldest bars and a family-owned business which can trace its pedigree back to 1847. Drop in to hear some Derry-speak (the "barrs" is a local term for gossip) where conviviality is the theme. Warm yourself at the glowing open fire with a pint of stout, sometimes humorously referred to as "soup of the day." An upstairs room focuses on the city's shirt factory heritage with a display of mounted photographs and Singer sewing machines repurposed as pub tables. Each Tuesday the venue hosts Irish traditional musicians, including gigs by the renowned Foyle Folk Club and popular storytelling sessions.

Gin is top of the bill at Town Square, which offers a sparkling collection of cocktails. The local Jawbox gin is paired with ginger ale, lime, and coriander, while the Aviation cocktail comes with star anise, berries, and tonic—all alongside a range of rotating taps of beer and cider. Try the Irish Noir cocktail, made up of Black Bush, vermouth, toffee tincture, and Peychaud's bitters. As part of the restyle, a gin bar was added, as well as a connecting café and newly created space for concerts and wine tastings.