The Ulster Hall, a historic 150-year old cultural venue in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has reopened following an extensive multi-million pound refurbishment scheme lasting two years.

It is the first scheme to be completed as part of a series of major renovation projects taking place at buildings across the city, with St Malachy's Church, the City Hall and the Ulster Museum set to reopen later this year. Work on the £8.5m refurbishment of the Ulster Hall has included the extensive redecoration of the venue's Great Hall, the reopening of windows that have been closed since the 1980s and the recreation of the building's original metal balcony balustrade and chandeliers.

New removable downstairs seating has been installed, along with a new roof and floors, including a moveable stage extension, while new high-specification sound, heating, lighting and air-conditioned systems have also been implemented. In addition, a new five-storey extension has been added at the rear of the Ulster Hall to provide modern dressing rooms, education suites and administration facilities, as well as a new permanent home for the Ulster Orchestra.

New features at the venue, which has hosted the likes of Led Zeppelin, Charles Dickens and the Dalai Lama, include a new, interpretative display documenting the history of the building, first opened in 1862 and acquired by Belfast City Council (BCC) in 1902. Funding for the scheme was provided by BCC through its capital funding programme, while the Northern Irish Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Arts Council of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency have also contributed.

Tom Hartley, lord mayor of Belfast, said: "The Ulster Hall has been part of the lifeblood of this great city for almost 150 years, and reflects the diversity of Belfast's life and politics. "While this capital project has transformed the building into a modern, customer-friendly, multi-purpose building, great care has been taken to both retain its unique character and to preserve its status as one of the true landmark buildings of Belfast."