What's On in Belfast

Westlife 25 - The Anniversary World Tour — Twenty-five years of harmonies, heartbreak, and hits — and Westlife are bringing the full anniversary celebration to the O2 Belfast at 6:30pm, which means this is essentially a homecoming on a grand scale. Expect a production that pulls out every stop, a crowd that knows every word, and the kind of communal joy that only a truly beloved pop institution can conjure. Check the website for pricing and availability, but move fast — this one will be rammed.

Dexy's Midnight Runners — Come on Eileen is just the tip of the iceberg — Dexy's Midnight Runners have always been a fiercely intelligent, passionately soulful band, and catching them at the gorgeous Ulster Hall at 7:00pm is a genuine treat. Kevin Rowland's band have never been content to coast on nostalgia, so expect a set that feels alive and a little unpredictable, in a room with one of the finest acoustics in the city. Check the website for tickets — this is the kind of gig that people talk about for years.

ALTER YOUR NATIVE LAND Gig Tramp, Éabha, DJ Terri Hooley — Over at the Oh Yeah Music Centre at 8:00pm, this is the night for anyone who wants something a bit more raw and rooted — Tramp and Eabha bring their own distinct energies to the stage, and having the legendary DJ Terri Hooley in the room gives proceedings a genuine Belfast punk spirit. At just £12 this is outstanding value, and the Oh Yeah is one of those venues that always feels like you are at the centre of something that actually matters. Do not sleep on this one.

Kim Blythe - Puzzle — For something a little different from the live music avalanche, Kim Blythe brings Puzzle to The Limelight 2 at 7:00pm — a piece of live performance that promises to be as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. The Limelight 2 is an intimate, atmospheric space that suits up-close theatre beautifully, making this the ideal option for anyone who wants the evening to stick in the mind as well as the heart. Check the website for tickets and details.

Nerina Pallot — The Empire Music Hall is one of Belfast's most characterful venues, and at 7:30pm it plays host to Nerina Pallot, a songwriter of real depth and warmth whose catalogue spans delicate piano ballads to boldly produced pop. Her live shows have a reputation for being disarmingly intimate regardless of the room size, and there is something genuinely special about hearing her voice fill a place as storied as the Empire. Check the website for tickets.

Sound of Belfast x Blue Pool x NuMuze: Late Night Art Takeover — When the gigs wind down, the night is far from over — the Ulster Sports Club hosts this late-night collision of sound and visual art from 9:30pm, with Sound of Belfast, Blue Pool, and NuMuze joining forces for what promises to be something genuinely immersive and hard to categorise in the best possible way. At £10 this is a brilliantly affordable way to extend your Thursday deep into the night, surrounded by people who care about where music and art can take you. This is the one for the curious, the restless, and the unapologetically nocturnal.