Ulster Hall Enjoys New Robe Lighting Rig

	The Answer at Ulster Hall. Photo: BWUH Ltd courtesy of Ulster Hall

Ulster Hall, a concert and entertainment venue in ICC Belfast, a convention and exhibition center, recently received a new lighting installation featuring nearly 60 Robe moving lights, including nine ESPRITE Profiles, 25 PAINTE Profiles, and 25 LEDBeam 350s.

The venue, dating back to 1862, has seen greats like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and many more perform there. It is also home to the Ulster Orchestra.

Dave Young, head of production for the ICC complex, which also includes Waterfront Hall and ICC Belfast, says the previous lighting upgrade was in the mid-2000s. He and his team started scouting lighting fixtures in 2025, and Robe was among the contenders. Sustainability was also on the agenda, and for the orchestra, the fixtures needed to be quiet.

"These three types of fixtures are ideal for our specific needs," Young says of the Robe gear. "We didn't need the biggest or the brightest; we needed the best all-round options that fitted our budget and the space, and that would offer great value to all the promoters and clients working in the venue."

Overhead was needed a set of profiles and washes, which could work for anything from a recital to a rock show to a comedy night. The new lights are in the over-stage rig, apart from six PAINTEs, which make up a floor package.

The hall has a 1,400 standing capacity and 800 seated, and the shows are a mix of both formats.

"You would hear people generally comment on Robe's reliability and longevity, and how the lifespan could be at least ten or 12 years, which is great ROI," Young notes.

The gear was delivered by Robe UK, project-managed by Gavin Mooney, national sales manager for Robe Ireland. Young says the service and support from Robe UK was "excellent."

Ulster Hall's technical team comprises four production managers who work with different promoters and clients, plus 11 full-time techs to cover sound, lighting, and AV, and around 30 regular freelancers. The staff have expanded in recent years, and while the venue was previously purely a receiving house, there is now an in-house production company.

In addition to the concerts, Ulster Hall hosts a range of business and corporate events and trade fairs, all with production supplied in-house. The new fixtures have also improved the efficiency of the workflow, as well as the time taken to focus and produce creative results, so the Robe lights are making a substantial difference, the company says.