Giant elephant to glide through Belfast's Cathedral Quarter tonight for Alternative Culture Night
Sheila the elephant has a special connection to Belfast 🐘 👇
Last updated 12th Sep 2025
Tonight, Friday 12th September, the cobbles of Belfast’s iconic Commercial Court will come alive with music, mischief, and the unmistakable sight of a giant life-size elephant being wheeled through the street 🤯
Belfast venues The Duke of York, The Friend at Hand and The Harp Bar, are gearing up to roll out their second alternative Culture Night, dubbed ‘Nil from the Hill’.
A week before the long-awaited return of the city’s official Culture Night, the self-funded alternative evening will bring animation to the streets outside the iconic Belfast venues around Commercial Court, with a series of pop-up happenings and events.
As part of the events, a larger-than-life spectacle will pay tribute to Sheila the elephant – a famous figure that has earned its place in Belfast folklore.
The baby elephant was famously taken in by a kind-hearted zookeeper for protection during the Belfast Blitz. Check it out 👇
Stories of Shiela’s unlikely relocation to a back garden on the Whitewell Road have been warmly remembered over the years, and now a towering tribute promises to bring gasps and grins to a new generation when it makes its appearance tonight.
Created by local carnival and film prop designers who wish to be known as ‘The Elephant Men’, the massive moving masterpiece features a moving trunk and tail, operated manually from inside.
Adding to the carnival atmosphere, the Causeway Shantymen return for another outing, promising raucous, soul-rousing song, while the thunderous World Beaters will bring the drama, with their unique blend of high-impact drumming, dynamic choreography and street theatre, and the Boom Struck Funeral Band will lead a procession through Commercial Court carrying a coffin emblazoned with ‘Nil from the Hill.’
Publican Willie Jack said: “Belfast is famed as being a place of stories, songs and surprises. Our ‘Nil from the Hill’ alternative Culture Night line-up of free pop-up entertainment and happenings lean into these themes again this year.
“We’re known for our sense of humour in these parts, and I love the fact that passersby may doubletake and think, ‘did I really just see an elephant marching past the Duke of York?’
“We hope these events will help to bring joy and a smile to people’s faces, bringing some much-needed animation to our city streets as the darker nights start to draw in.”
The free pop-up performances begin around 5.30pm on Friday 12 September on Commercial Court, outside The Duke of York, The Dark Horse and The Harp Bar.
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