Multi-table early rounds, a single-table title weekend, and Belfast’s riverfront outside. The Northern Ireland Open returns on 18–25 October 2026.
Checked 9 October 2026
At a glance
Waterfront Hall sits beside the River Lagan, five minutes from Lanyon Place station. The Northern Ireland Open occupies an eight-day run here, with lower-cost unreserved admission before the title weekend. Saturday and Sunday use one playing table and a reserved seat plan. Book the competition’s actual timetable, rather than another Waterfront show’s auditorium layout.
The city-centre setting makes a daytime match and an evening in Belfast practical without a car. The first four days have 10am matches as well as afternoon and evening play. Thursday starts later; Friday changes to longer quarter-finals. Our ticket summary highlights the cheapest Standard visit for each stage, while the event page carries every concession, day pass and session amount.
Unreserved first-round play; £19.75 with the venue fee.
Reserved single-table semi-final. Admission plus fee is £43.25.
Last-16 matches from 1pm. Each child needs a ticket; under-16s come with an adult.
The final’s all-day Standard pass; £93.25 including booking fee.
Snooker audience capacity is not published in the checked event material; the exact event capacity remains unverified.
[UNVERIFIED: exact early-round table count and whether a partition separates the viewing areas.] The checked timetable describes simultaneous matches, but the available 2026 seating PDF shows only the single-table arrangement. The event guide gives the round-by-round timetable; one-table play begins on Saturday.
WST 2026 seating plan · Checked 9 October 2026.
The venue address is 2 Lanyon Place, Belfast BT1 3WH. Lanyon Place station is on East Bridge Street. The hall publishes a five-minute walking route from that station and a ten-minute walk from the city centre. Arrive on the Lanyon Place side of the river; the glass-fronted building is the venue, not a ticket collection point elsewhere in town.
Belfast Grand Central is a different station on the west side of the centre. Dublin Enterprise arrivals use Grand Central. Translink says Portadown-line passengers travelling to Lanyon Place change at Grand Central. Use the Translink journey planner for your departure station and date. Lanyon Place is nearest to the hall, but the nearest station name alone does not settle which train you should buy.
Laganside Bus Centre is about two minutes from the hall according to the venue. Oxford Street has a stop serving the main Glider routes. For a city bus, put Waterfront Hall into Translink’s planner and check the stop and direction before boarding. A train into Belfast and a local bus across the centre are separate legs of the trip.
Lanyon Place, Oxford Street and Montgomery Street car parks are listed by the venue. They have independent operators. The accessibility FAQ currently marks the Oxford Street Hilton car park closed, while the general visitor page still lists it. Use APCOA’s current Lanyon Place information for a parking booking and confirm accessible bays with the operator. We describe parking as Limited because it is nearby public parking, not a guaranteed snooker allocation.
After a 7pm session, the finish follows the score. Choose the latest train you can realistically reach and check where it departs: some journeys require Grand Central. An overnight room avoids tying the final frames to a last departure. For a taxi or accessible vehicle, agree collection with the venue rather than blocking the main entrance. The access team can explain drop-off arrangements.
Venue walking routes, bus stops and parking · Checked 9 October 2026.
Grand Central interchange information · Checked 9 October 2026.
The second-round session minimum is also £16.50. All six knockout rounds appear in the detailed tariff.
| Round | Cheapest Standard session | All-day Standard |
|---|---|---|
| First round | £16.50 | £28 |
| Second round | £16.50 | £28 |
| Last 16 | £18 | £30 |
| Quarter-finals | £28 | £55 |
| Semi-finals | £35 | £70 |
| Final | £48 | £90 |
Standard tickets start at £16.50 before fees; concession sessions start at £13. The venue charges £3.25 per ticket, so those two purchases total £19.75 and £16.25. The day pass and season ticket have their own prices; selecting two session tickets is a different purchase.
For an early-round ticket, the tariff gives unreserved admission. For the single-table weekend, you book a reserved place for the session or the published all-day offer. Read the complete 2026 tariff and session scope before buying. The £275 season amount covers the whole tournament. The event listing also sells Saturday hospitality from £225 with both semi-final sessions; a £150 upgrade needs tickets already held for those sessions.
WST ticket page and official tariff · Checked 9 October 2026.
Select your admission first, then the priced category. The estimate adds £3.25 per paid ticket automatically. Transport and food are whole-party amounts; accommodation is nights × rooms × room price. The calculation runs on your device.
Waterfront is cashless. Bring a card or contactless payment method. The venue has no formal dress code for ordinary visits; an event-specific requirement appears at booking. Its house rules ask you to switch electronic devices off and prohibit unauthorised filming and photography. Arrange an authorised hearing-assistance device with staff.
Bags should be no larger than a laptop bag under the current security page. Bring only essentials. Food and drink consumed inside must be bought at the venue. Snacks, soft drinks, tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks are available from the bars. A steward manages admission when a match is under way; wait for the permitted break and keep aisles clear.
Cashless payment, phones, food and audience rules · Checked 9 October 2026.
Bag searches and luggage rule · Checked 9 October 2026.
[UNVERIFIED: 2026 snooker arena door-opening times and exact interval arrangements for the longer matches.] The tariff confirms no intervals through the last 16; venue pages give general arrival advice.
The Northern Ireland Open listing requires under-16s to attend with an adult. Children under three are excluded except for specified children’s events; this tournament has no published exception. Every audience member, including a child, needs a valid ticket. A short daytime visit avoids building a child’s first session around a late finish.
The tariff’s concessions are for people aged 65 and over, registered unemployed visitors, students with an NUS card, NHS staff with ID, and registered disabled visitors. It does not publish a separate child price. Buy the category the child qualifies for. For a group, call customer services on 028 9033 4455 to discuss adjacent reserved seats or an unreserved early visit; no group discount is stated in the checked price sheet.
Event age requirements · Checked 9 October 2026.
Concession eligibility and free carer note · Checked 9 October 2026.
Hilton Belfast is directly beside the venue: allow 1–2 minutes to the public entrance. AC Hotel Belfast is farther north along the river; allow roughly 12–15 minutes on foot.
Bullitt Hotel and Malmaison Belfast put you near the city’s pubs and restaurants. Budget around 10–12 minutes walking to Waterfront Hall from this area.
Europa Hotel on Great Victoria Street and Hampton by Hilton Belfast City Centre suit arrivals on the west side of the centre. Allow about 15–25 minutes walking to the snooker, depending on the hotel and route.
These are approximate walking allowances from the named areas, not measured accessible routes. Check the hotel’s own access details for your room.
Search hotels in Belfast on Booking.comSt George’s Market is on East Bridge Street, around 5 minutes away. It trades on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; use the market’s published hours for breakfast or an early lunch on those days. On weekdays, Hilton Belfast is the nearest named hotel dining option.
OX is at 1 Oxford Street, around 5–10 minutes away. Reserve a meal if you want this to be the dining part of your visit. The river walk connects the hall with Queen’s Square and the north end of Oxford Street.
McHugh’s is on Queen’s Square, roughly 10 minutes away. Bullitt offers another city-centre base for meeting your group. Check kitchens’ last orders separately from bar opening times on your selected date.
Hilton Belfast is immediately next door, so its hotel bar avoids another long walk after the match. For a longer city-centre outing, use Visit Belfast’s city-centre listings to find The Morning Star.
For an immediate emergency call 999 and give Waterfront Hall, 2 Lanyon Place, Belfast BT1 3WH. Inside the venue, alert a steward so the team can direct responders to your location. Venue security and medical support are arranged for events.
Customer services and ticket enquiries: 028 9033 4455; customerservicesbwuh@waterfront.co.uk. Include your order number in booking correspondence. For feeling unsafe at a venue bar, ask staff for Angela; the hall participates in the assistance scheme.
Venue customer-service contacts · Checked 9 October 2026.
WST tournament history · Checked 9 October 2026.
Lisowski’s title and the 2026 programme · Checked 9 October 2026.
Northern Ireland Open 2026 · 18–25 October. Public tickets are on sale. The checked WST calendar lists this event at Waterfront Hall; other concerts and performances have their own admission plans.
Full timetable, admission prices and match format.
Step-free routes, companions and hearing support.
Getting there, hotels, food and the building.
Waterfront visitor details checked on 9 October 2026. This guide is independent of WST and the venue. Booking.com hotel links through CJ may earn a commission at no extra cost. How we check our facts.
Lanyon Place is a five-minute walk according to Waterfront Hall. Grand Central serves different arrivals; check your actual route.
There is no cloakroom for large bags. Use a bag no larger than a laptop bag and arrange luggage storage before arrival.
Every child needs a valid ticket. The sheet lists eligibility-based concessions but no separate child rate.
