Game of Thrones stars gather in Northern Ireland for Season 8 premiere

The cast and crew of Game of Thrones gathered together in Northern Ireland last night for the UK premiere of Season 8 just ahead of fans getting the first episode of Season 8.
Wolf pack....Maisie Williams, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Isaac Hempstead Wright attending the Game of Thrones Premiere, held at Waterfront Hall, Belfast. (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)Wolf pack....Maisie Williams, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Isaac Hempstead Wright attending the Game of Thrones Premiere, held at Waterfront Hall, Belfast. (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)
Wolf pack....Maisie Williams, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Isaac Hempstead Wright attending the Game of Thrones Premiere, held at Waterfront Hall, Belfast. (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)

There was a Stark reunion as all four main characters from Winterfell gathered at the Waterfoot Hall alongside many of the other principal actors from the hit show.

Belfast was chosen for the premiere as Northern Ireland has been the main filming location right from the first season of the world’s biggest TV series, with its dramatic landscapes providing the backdrop to much of the on-screen drama.

Among those to grace the red carpet were Kit Harrington who plays Jon Snow, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams, who play the Stark sisters Sansa and Arya, and Isaac Hempstead Wright, who plays their brother Brandon (Bran).

Wolf pack....Maisie Williams, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Isaac Hempstead Wright attending the Game of Thrones Premiere, held at Waterfront Hall, Belfast. (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)Wolf pack....Maisie Williams, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Isaac Hempstead Wright attending the Game of Thrones Premiere, held at Waterfront Hall, Belfast. (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)
Wolf pack....Maisie Williams, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Isaac Hempstead Wright attending the Game of Thrones Premiere, held at Waterfront Hall, Belfast. (Liam McBurney/PA Wire)

Other actors and actresses also flew in for the special event including John Bradley (Samwell Tarley) Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Conleth Hill (Varys), Carice Van Houten (Melisandre), Hannah Murray (Gilly), Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy), Jacob Anderson (Greyworm), Joe Dempsey (Gendry), Pilou Asbaek (Euron Greyjoy), Kerry Ingram (Shireen Baratheon), Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), Jerome Flynn (Ser Bronn of the Blackwater) and Richard Dormer (Beric Dondarrion).

Following the long wait since Season 7 aired back in 2017, it is now less than 48 hours before fans finally get to see the first of six episodes in the final season of HBO’s adaptation of author George R R Martin’s epic fantasy series.

The first episode of Season 8 will air in the UK and Ireland on Sky Atlantic at 2am on Monday morning (April 15th) (the same time as HBO will be showing it in the US), and will be repeated on Sky Atlantic at 9pm on Monday night.

The author has so far published five of the seven books set in the fictional world he created in his Song of Ice and Fire series - ‘A Game of Thrones’, ‘A Clash of Kings, ‘A Storm of Swords’, ‘A Feast for Crows’ and ‘The Dance of Dragons’.

The sixth book in the series, ‘The Winds of Winter’, is expected to be published in the coming years, followed by the final book ‘A Dream of Spring’.

George R R Martin has also recently published Fire & Blood, the first of a two-part series charting the history of the Targaryen rulers and other works set in this world.

(Photographs by Liam McBurney P.A. Wire)