1997 Belfast City Council election

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1997
1997 Belfast City Council election
← 1993 21 May 1997 (1997-05-21) 2001 →
All 51 seats to Belfast City Council
26 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Sinn Féin UUP SDLP
Seats won 13 13 7
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 2 Decrease 2
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party DUP Alliance PUP
Seats won 7 6 3
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 1 Increase 2
  Seventh party Eighth party
 
Party Ulster Democratic Ind. Unionist
Seats won 1 1
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Lord Mayor before election

Ian Adamson
UUP

Lord Mayor

Alban Maginness
SDLP

Elections to Belfast City Council were held on 21 May 1997 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used nine district electoral areas to elect a total of 51 councillors, most representing the more heavily populated north and west.

Unionists lost overall control of Belfast City Council for the first time in its history, with Alliance holding the balance of power between unionists and nationalists. Alban Maginness from the SDLP became the first nationalist Lord Mayor.