Belfast Learning Festival offers free citywide workshops

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-06-03 22:18 Updated: 15:43 3 min read

Close up of hands arranging colorful thread spools on a wooden crafting table.

Meditation mats, sewing kits, language tables, guided walks and combat robotics are all part of the same citywide programme when the Belfast Learning Festival returns for its ninth year.

The festival runs from Monday 8 June to Sunday 14 June across various venues in Belfast. Events are free, with registration required through the Belfast Learning Festival programme. There is no single start time listed for the full festival, as sessions take place across different venues and formats.

Free learning events across Belfast from 8 to 14 June

The Belfast Learning Festival is being presented across classrooms, community centres, libraries, lecture theatres, cafes, cultural venues, workplaces and waterfront spaces.

The programme is aimed at everyone, regardless of age, experience or talent. The source notice says people do not need qualifications to take part and do not need to pay for festival events.

Detail	Information
Event	Belfast Learning Festival
Dates	Monday 8 June to Sunday 14 June 2026
Location	Various venues across Belfast
Cost	Free
Booking	Registration required for individual events
Organisers	Learning City Collective and Belfast City Council

The event sits within Belfast’s work as a UNESCO City of Learning, with the festival framed around lifelong learning rather than formal qualifications. Belfast City Council said the annual celebration is delivered with partners in the Learning City Collective, alongside community organisations and academic institutions including Belfast Met, Queen’s University and Ulster University.

From sound baths to robotics and local history

The programme covers a wide range of interests, from health and movement to creative skills and discussion-based sessions.

People looking for a slower pace can try meditation, yoga and sound baths. Those wanting a more active session can look for exercise and dance classes, as well as guided walks.

There are also sessions built around conversation and knowledge-sharing, including discussion groups, talks and language learning. Practical learners can register for activities such as mending, sewing, painting, willow weaving, woodworking, gardening and trying a new instrument.

Some of the more unusual sessions include combat robotics, taking apart old cameras for an art project, and exploring the feminist history of Belfast. That mix gives the festival a broad reach: it is not only for people already enrolled in education, but for residents who want to test a skill, revisit an interest or spend an hour trying something unfamiliar.

Registration is needed for the free programme

All festival events are free, but attendees are asked to register for the sessions they want to join. The full programme and registration details are listed through Belfast City Council’s Belfast Learning Festival page.

The festival is supported by key partners in the Learning City Collective and co-funded by the Public Health Agency, with the council linking the programme to learning as one of the five steps to wellbeing.

High Sheriff of Belfast Alderman Frank McCoubrey said the festival works like a “taster menu”, giving residents the chance to sample different forms of learning across the city.

He said Belfast is “very lucky” to work with partners across the city who help deliver a programme that celebrates learning in different forms and connects people in different places. Residents are being encouraged to check the programme and choose the free events they want to register for.

Source: Belfast City Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

This preview is based on the Belfast City Council notice and keeps to the event details stated there.

Checks

Confirmed the festival dates as Monday 8 June to Sunday 14 June 2026.
Confirmed the event is free and requires registration for individual sessions.
Confirmed the venues are described as various locations across Belfast, with no single add...
Confirmed the organisers as the Learning City Collective and Belfast City Council.

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