Match Day: Watching Live Sport in Belfast

Floodlights over Ravenhill, the hush of an arena before the puck drops, a derby-day crowd on Boxing Day afternoon. Belfast is a city with a host of sports to offer, and that suits students down to the ground. Whether it’s rugby, ice hockey, football, or university sports, they’re all within reach of the city centre.

We have three luxury student properties in the city. Aster House on University Road and Ryan Hall on Elmwood Avenue sit beside Queen’s University Belfast, while The Edge on York Street is a minute’s walk from Ulster University’s Belfast Campus.

Where Does Ulster Rugby Play?

At the Affidea Stadium, which was long known as the Kingspan Stadium under previous sponsorship agreements. Ulster compete in the United Rugby Championship and the EPCR Challenge Cup.

If you’re around the stadium this winter, there are two big fixtures worth attending. Ulster face Aviron Bayonnais in the Challenge Cup on Saturday 12th December, and Connacht in the United Rugby Championship on Sunday 27th December.

If you’re heading to the match, your nearest train station is Lanyon Place.

Where Can You Watch the Belfast Giants?

At The O2 Belfast in the Titanic Quarter. Similar to the Kingspan, the former SSE Arena had a sponsorship deal that expired in summer 2026.

The Giants’ 2026/27 Elite League season continues until 18th April 2027, with 54 regular season games for each team. Season tickets have sold out, so single-game tickets are the way in, and the club offers a student category if you present a valid student ID.

The Glider G2 stops at Odyssey, right outside the arena, and you board it near City Hall.

Where Can I Enjoy Football in Belfast?

The Irish Premiership is played out across the city, at several stadiums. Glentoran are based at The BetMcLean Oval, Cliftonville at Solitude, and Crusaders at Seaview. Linfield complete the roster od Belfast’s famous old clubs.

The highlight of the current campaign comes on Boxing Day, when Glentoran host Linfield at the Oval. While the fixture is currently scheduled for this date, make sure to stay up to date with any changes to the fixture list on the Glentoran website or social media channels.

Is University Sport Worth Watching?

Well, yes! Varsity is a popular occasion in many university cities, but Belfast does is particularly well. The annual contests between Queen’s University and Ulster University draw crowds from across Northern Ireland, and the 2025 edition was capped by a sensational women’s rugby final at the Upper Malone playing fields. This was also where the overall victors were revealed.

Queen’s Sport also supports a variety of high-level performance academies in football, rugby, GAA, rowing, and hockey.

Tips From Seasoned Spectators

• Ahead of next season, stay alert for ticket discounts. Prior to te current campaign, Ulster Rugby offered A 10% discount to anyone who bought tickets to their opening four fixtures at the same time.
• In 2025, Queen’s Students’ Union held a free Varsity pre-final event for its students, with food, merchandise, and transport to the game all available.
• O2 Priority members receive 20% off entry to W5, the science centre on the same Odyssey site as the arena, an easy addition to a game day

A season of sport is best enjoyed from a comfortable home base. Explore our collection of superb Belfast student accommodation today, and secure your front row seat to the cities best sporting action for the year ahead.