Twenty years after Snow Patrol released the album that helped propel them to international stardom, musicians from across Northern Ireland will come together to celebrate one of the band’s most successful records.
The Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast will host a special Classic Album Night dedicated to Eyes Open on Friday, November 6, as part of Sound of Belfast 2026.
Released in 2006, the album became the UK’s biggest-selling record of that year and has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Featuring some of Snow Patrol’s best-known songs, including Chasing Cars, Open Your Eyes and Set the Fire to the Third Bar, Eyes Open remains a landmark release in the band’s career and a defining album for Northern Irish music.
For the anniversary event, six local acts will offer their own interpretations of songs from the record.
Reevah, Anna Bradley, Nathan O’Regan, Jack Devlin, Ghoul Girl (Lucy Gaffney) and James Gitari of Tribal Ting will take part in the celebration.
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody welcomed the event, describing it as a “massive honour” to have Eyes Open selected for the series.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
He also thanked the musicians taking part, adding: “Hope you have fun with the songs. And all the people going to see it, thank you so much!”
The event follows previous Classic Album Nights celebrating Radiohead’s OK Computer and Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, bringing together local artists to reinterpret influential records and introduce them to new audiences.
The latest instalment will revisit an album that played a major role in bringing Snow Patrol to a global audience, while celebrating the continuing influence of Northern Ireland’s music scene.
Classic Album Night: Snow Patrol – Eyes Open (20th Anniversary) takes place at the Oh Yeah Music Centre, 15-21 Gordon Street, Belfast, on Friday, November 6.
Doors open at 7.30pm, with tickets on sale through Tickets on sale now at: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Belfast/Oh-Yeah-Music-Centre/Classic-Album-Night-Snow-Patrols-Eyes-Open-20th-Anniversary/43045699/