Overview
The Lyric is Northern Ireland’s only full-time producing theatre – it makes its own shows rather than just hosting touring productions – and in 2023 it was named Theatre of the Year by The Stage. It started small: Mary and Pearse O’Malley founded the Lyric Players in 1951, and the company grew into the riverside building that opened on the banks of the River Lagan in south Belfast in 2011. In 2026 it marks 75 years, with a run of anniversary events backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Over 90,000 people came through the doors in 2023, and close to 13,000 of them were schoolchildren on the Creative Learning programme.
If you have one evening, see something the Lyric has produced itself in the main house rather than a touring show passing through – that’s what the building is for.
Architecture and setting
Described by the Daily Telegraph’s architecture critic as one of the best British buildings of the century, the £18 million theatre is built from red Belfast brick, glass and iroko timber, three linked volumes holding the main house, a studio and rehearsal spaces. Large timber-framed windows pull in daylight and frame the Lagan and the parkland beyond.
Inside, the 389-seat Danske Bank Stage rakes steeply so no one sits far from the action, with faceted iroko arches lining the auditorium to hide the technical kit and sharpen the sound. The 120-seat Naughton Studio – named for Dr Martin Naughton, whose £1 million gift in 2007 helped fund the rebuild – is the more intimate room, used for experimental work, workshops and community projects, with a picture window that ties the street to the stage.
Productions and programme
As a producing house the Lyric develops professional work for local and touring audiences, usually balancing established classics with new commissions that reflect Northern Ireland’s own history and arguments. Recent seasons have run adaptations of Wilde, Shaw and Chekhov alongside original writing. Each December brings a family Christmas show, and beyond the stage the Creative Learning department runs youth theatre, drama workshops and courses for teachers and artists. Through 2026, the free exhibition A House of Play (28 June – 8 November) traces the theatre’s 75 years.
Visiting the Lyric
Address: 55 Ridgeway Street, Stranmillis, Belfast BT9 5FB, Co. Antrim
Box office and tickets:
- The box office is open daily; hours run longer on show days. Check the website before travelling.
- Book online, by phone on +44 (0)28 9038 5685, or in person.
- Concessions for students, seniors and families; group rates for ten or more through the box office.
Tours: Behind-the-scenes tours run on Friday or Sunday mornings and must be booked ahead through the box office – worth doing if you want to see the workings rather than just a show.
Café bar: The riverside café bar opens daily, with a terrace over the Lagan that comes into its own in warmer months. It works for a pre-show drink or a quiet afternoon out of the city centre.
Accessibility: Wheelchair-friendly entrances, designated seating, a hearing loop and accessible toilets, plus two extended parking bays with dropped kerbs outside the front door. Full details are on the venue’s website and AccessAble.
Getting there and nearby attractions
- Public transport: Several Translink bus routes run along Stranmillis Road within a short walk. Belfast Lanyon Place station is about a 15-minute stroll.
- Parking: This is the weak point. There’s no on-site car park, on-street space on Stranmillis Embankment is limited, and the residential streets off Ridgeway Street, Stranmillis Road and Annadale Embankment are best left alone. The nearest paid option is Queen’s Sport PEC Car Park on Stranmillis Embankment, around £1.80 an hour. Allow extra time, or come by bus.
- Walking: The theatre faces Belfast Botanic Gardens, so a show pairs naturally with a garden stroll, and it’s a short distance into the city centre; Belfast City Hall is about ten minutes north.
- Riverside: For a longer walk, the Lagan towpath links the Lyric to Belfast Harbour, with Belfast Castle and the Belfast Hills further out.
If you can’t get to a performance, the café and terrace are open on non-show days too, and the anniversary exhibition runs until November 2026 – reason enough to put your head in.