Snow Patrol’s Eyes Open to be celebrated at special 20th anniversary concert in Belfast
Friday 23 October 2026
Twenty years after Snow Patrol released one of Northern Ireland’s most successful albums, a special concert in Belfast will celebrate the music that helped propel the band to international fame.
The Oh Yeah Music Centre will host a 20th anniversary celebration of Eyes Open on Friday 6 November, bringing together six artists to perform their own interpretations of songs from the landmark 2006 album.
Taking place as part of Sound of Belfast 2026, the event will revisit a record that became the UK’s biggest-selling album of its release year and went on to sell more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Celebrating an album that reached millions
Released in 2006, Eyes Open featured some of Snow Patrol’s best-known songs, including Chasing Cars, Open Your Eyes and Set the Fire to the Third Bar.
The album marked a defining chapter in the band's career, helping establish Snow Patrol as one of Northern Ireland's most internationally recognised musical acts.
Artists who will each bring their own musical style to songs from the album.
For the anniversary concert, Reevah, Anna Bradley, Nathan O’Regan, Jack Devlin, Ghoul Girl (Lucy Gaffney) and James Gitari (Tribal Ting) will each bring their own musical style to songs from the album.
Rather than simply recreating the original recordings, the performers will offer fresh interpretations of the music for a new audience, alongside those who remember its original release.
Gary Lightbody welcomes anniversary tribute
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has welcomed the celebration, describing the band's inclusion in the Oh Yeah Music Centre's Classic Album Night series as a major honour.
He said:
"We are absolutely over the moon that the Oh Yeah Centre have decided to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our album Eyes Open as part of their Classic Albums night at the Sound Of Belfast Festival.
Every year they pick an album to cover and the so far list is an impressive one (including OK Computer and Astral Weeks), so being in such exalted company is a massive honour.
We’d like to hugely thank all the musicians participating in the night! Hope you have fun with the songs. And all the people going to see it, thank you so much!"
Following in the footsteps of classic albums
The concert continues the Oh Yeah Music Centre's established Classic Album Night series, which invites musicians to reinterpret influential records in their entirety.
Previous editions have celebrated Radiohead's OK Computer and Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, placing Eyes Open alongside two highly regarded albums in the event's history.
This year's celebration also provides a platform for contemporary artists to put their own stamp on music that remains closely associated with Northern Ireland's international musical success.
Event details and tickets
The anniversary concert will take place at the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.
• Event: Classic Album Night – Snow Patrol's Eyes Open (20th Anniversary)
• Date: Friday 6 November 2026
• Doors: 7.30pm
• Venue: Oh Yeah Music Centre, 15–21 Gordon Street, Belfast
• Tickets: On sale now
Tickets are available online here.
For fans who grew up with Eyes Open, the concert offers an opportunity to rediscover familiar songs two decades later, while introducing a new generation to the album through the voices of Northern Ireland's contemporary music scene.
