MUSIC

BELFAST IS A SMALL CITY known for great local food, a thriving downtown, and two fantastic farmers’ markets, but there’s also a growing music scene offering regular opportunities to experience local tunes — from classical to modern, from folk to the blues. Belfast offers annual events and regular concerts to entertain locals, tourists, and visitors from around the state of Maine.

During the summer months, Belfast puts on a show with weekly concerts in the Belfast Summer Nights series. Each week from June to the end of August, Belfast’s waterfront hosts outdoor concerts for the whole family.

The concerts are held each Thursday evening from 5:307:30 p.m. and feature live music from a variety of genres.

BY CRYSTAL SANDS

Within walking distance from both food trucks and local restaurants, the Summer Nights concerts are one of Belfast’s most popular annual events.

Annadene Fowler of Belfast Summer Nights says the concert series started 27 years ago as a way to help local musicians make ends meet and host concerts during the week instead of just on the weekend, and things just grew from there.

“These days all the concerts are at Steamboat Landing Park by the harbor,” Fowler said. “More people, near and far, flock to relax in the waves of music and visions of summertime on the coast in Maine. It is a pleasure to see the kids running a little amuck, to watch the boats sail by, and meet the neighbors and friends for an evening of fabulous musical entertainment.”

Fowler says the concert series in 2023 “will feature local and touring bands of a broad range of genres, including rock and roll, Americana, singersongwriter, a huge brass band, a beloved community band, jazz, funk, world fusion, New Orleans street music, and more.”

But Belfast’s music scene offers even more. The Maine Celtic Celebration, a festival celebrating Maine’s rich Celtic heritage, features a variety of Celtic music and entertainment. From July 21-23, 2023, the festival, now in its 17th season, will include a musical lineup of 12 artists. With everything from bagpipes played by professional piper Catherine Pearce of Machias to accordion music performed by Ireland accordion champion John Whelan, there is music for everyone during this annual celebration on the Belfast waterfront.

Focused on a different genre of music, in the spring, Belfast hosts the All Roads Music Festival, which celebrates local and indie music. This festival takes place each year in May, and in 2023, featured more than 40 artists performing at a variety of venues throughout the city. This two-day festival features emerging musicians from throughout the state.

Of course, you don’t have to attend a festival to experience Belfast’s rising music scene. Musicians perform throughout the year in several venues around the city. Classical music concerts at the library and pop artists at local restaurants and pubs provide musical experiences all year long. To keep track of musical events in Belfast, check out Belfast’s event calendar at ourtownbelfast.org.

“Music connects us, it is a universal language,” Fowler said. “To see your friends and neighbors, relaxed, barefoot in the grass getting their groove on, or sharing a slice of pizza as the sun sets at Belfast Summer Nights really helps us feel as one big community, made it through another winter. The music can make us laugh and cry, and we do it together.”

Music is, indeed, something that brings all of us together, and with so many opportunities to experience music in Belfast, now is a good time to check out Belfast’s music scene.