Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall have announced a significant change to their merchandise policies, with both venues removing merchandise commission for touring artists from 01 October 2026.
Under the new policy, touring artists will retain 100% of the revenue generated from merchandise sales at the venues.
The move is designed to demonstrate the venue's commitment to supporting artists and touring and to help improve the commercial viability of live tours at a time when costs across the touring industry continue to increase.
Rob McConnell, Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall said:
“We want to make it clear that we are committed to supporting artists and the wider touring ecosystem. Removing merchandise commission is a tangible way in which we can put more revenue directly back into the hands of the artists and touring parties who create the shows our audiences love.
“We recognise that touring has become increasingly challenging commercially, and while this change also means that artists will take responsibility for operating their own merchandise sales, we believe that allowing them to retain 100% of their merchandise revenue is the right thing to do.”
Peter McKevitt, Head of Entertainment, added: “Merchandise is an increasingly important part of the economics of touring, particularly for emerging and developing artists. We want our venues to be places where artists can build sustainable careers, and removing our commission is one practical way we can contribute to that.
“We hope this will provide a meaningful additional benefit to artists while continuing to offer audiences the opportunity to buy merchandise at our shows.”
The new policy will apply to touring merchandise sales at Waterfront Hall | Ulster Hall from 01 October 2026.
