Name: Belfast Learning Festival
Start: 2026-06-08
End: 2026-06-14
Location: Various venues across Belfast

Contents

Free learning across Belfast from 8 to 14 June
Meditation, robotics, history and practical skills
A ninth year for Belfast’s learning week
How to register for the free sessions

Belfast will turn classrooms, libraries, cafés, cultural venues and waterfront spaces into learning rooms from Monday 8 to Sunday 14 June, as the Belfast Learning Festival returns for its ninth year.

The festival is free to attend, with events taking place at various venues across Belfast. Individual times depend on the programme listing, and registration is required for the free sessions through the Belfast Learning Festival programme.

The week is aimed at everyone, regardless of age, experience or talent. No qualifications are needed to take part.

Free learning across Belfast from 8 to 14 June

The Belfast Learning Festival is built around a simple idea: learning can happen well beyond a formal classroom. This year’s programme spreads across community centres, libraries, lecture theatres, cafés, cultural venues, workplaces and waterfront spaces.

The event is organised by the Learning City Collective and Belfast City Council, with community organisations and academic institutions helping deliver the programme, while a related summer stay guide outlines what residents need to know as visitors arrive. Belfast Met, Queen’s University and Ulster University are among the institutions named in the festival material.

The festival is also co-funded by the Public Health Agency, with the source material linking the event to learning as one of the five steps to wellbeing.

Detail	Confirmed information
Event	Belfast Learning Festival
Dates	Monday 8 to Sunday 14 June 2026
Location	Various venues across Belfast
Cost	Free
Booking	Registration required for events
Audience	Everyone, regardless of age, experience or talent

Meditation, robotics, history and practical skills

The programme covers a wide range of activities, from calm sessions to hands-on workshops. People looking for slower-paced events can choose from meditation, yoga and sound baths.

For those who want movement, the festival includes exercise and dance classes, as well as guided walks. The programme also features discussion groups, talks and language-learning opportunities.

Practical sessions include mending, sewing, painting, willow weaving, woodworking, gardening and trying a new instrument. The source material also points to more unusual activities, including combat robotics, using old cameras in an art project and learning about the feminist history of Belfast.

That breadth is the main draw for residents who may not usually sign up for a course. The week is framed as a low-risk way to try something once before deciding whether to continue.

A ninth year for Belfast’s learning week

High Sheriff of Belfast Alderman Frank McCoubrey welcomed the return of the festival, describing Belfast as a UNESCO City of Learning and saying the city has a commitment to access to lifelong learning.

He compared the festival to “a taster menu”, with residents able to sample different activities and see what suits them. He also said the programme is delivered with partners from across the city and encourages people to look through what is on offer this year.

The festival’s ninth year gives it a familiar place in Belfast’s civic calendar, but the format remains practical: short sessions, free entry and venues across the city rather than one central site.

For families, older residents, students, workers and people returning to learning after a long gap, the main barrier is not cost. The key step is choosing a session and registering before attending.

How to register for the free sessions

All Belfast Learning Festival events are free, but people must register for the events they want to attend. The full programme is available through the Belfast City Council festival page at www.belfastcity.gov.uk/belfastlearningfestival.

Anyone planning to attend should check the individual listing for the exact venue, time and any session-specific details before travelling. Events are spread across Belfast rather than held at one address.

Source: Belfast City Council