Belfast Music Venue transformed into Glowing Tribute to Hometown Heroes The Divine Comedy as Part of Everywhere At Once Festival by The National Lottery

• The National Lottery has transformed Empire Music Hall in Belfast with a striking projection of The Divine Comedy’s iconic song lyrics – Absent Friends – onto the side of the building where they performed early in their careers, celebrating hometown pride as many venues face closure due to growing financial pressures. 

• This projection joins a nationwide activation that marks the launch of Everywhere At Once, shining a spotlight on the vital role independent venues play in nurturing emerging talent and shaping local cultural identity. 

 Lyrics from The Divine Comedy’s anthem ‘Absent Friends’ were illuminated onto Empire Music Hall in Belfast. Members of the public were stopped in their tracks upon seeing the iconic song lyrics projected onto this iconic music venue to mark the Everywhere At Once festival. 

Neil Hannon, of The Divine Comedy said: “Every artist starts somewhere, and grassroots venues are where so much creativity and musical culture is born. It’s incredibly important that these spaces continue to be supported, protected and recognised and initiatives like this help shine a light on exactly that.” 

Taking place on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend of June 26 to 28, 2026, more than 400 grassroots music venues will stage hundreds of live music events under the banner of Everywhere At Once, making it the UK’s biggest festival.  

The initiative, brought to life by a partnership between Music Venue Trust and The National Lottery, will create a national moment to celebrate the grassroots music ecosystem. 

More than £1 billion has been raised for music related projects across the UK, helping support venues, festivals, emerging artists and community organisations – all made possible because of National Lottery players. This funding continues to play a vital role in protecting grassroots venues at a time when many face increasing financial pressure despite their enormous cultural importance. 

Additional projections across the UK, include lyrics lighting up venues including 229 in London where Tinie Tempah performed the night his breakout single ‘Pass Out’ went to number 1 in the charts; Worcester’s The Marrs Bar, an early-stage venue for Becky Hill; and Carnegie Hall in Fife which hosted KT Tunstall early in her career. 

Alastair Ruxton, Chief Impact Office at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, said: 

“Across the UK, people feel a strong sense of connection to artists from their local area, with hometown success stories becoming an important source of identity and celebration. Grassroots venues are at the heart of these stories, providing essential spaces where emerging talent can develop while bringing communities together through shared live music experiences. These projections capture that spirit, they celebrate not just iconic artists and lyrics, but the grassroots venues and local communities that supported them from the very beginning. Because of National Lottery players, more than £1 billion has been raised for music related projects across the UK, helping these vital venues continue to nurture the next generation of talent.” 

Everywhere At Once will take place across hundreds of venues nationwide, with more than 2,000 artists performing across a diverse range of genres. As one of the biggest supporters of grassroots music, The National Lottery is helping power this unprecedented weekend championing independent venues, supporting emerging talent, and shining a light on the foundations of the UK music scene.