Game of Thrones: Stars gather for premiere in Belfast

Stars from Game of Thrones have attended the Belfast premiere of the eighth and final series of the fantasy drama.

The city's Waterfront Hall got a taste of the fictional kingdom of Westeros at the event on Friday night.

Kit Harington, who plays central character, Jon Snow, in the drama, said he was having "sleepless nights" ahead of the HBO series starting.

Various locations in Northern Ireland have been used during the show.

Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Lena Headey, Pilou Asbaek, Liam Cunningham and Jerome Flynn were among the cast members walking the red carpet on Friday.

Game Of Thrones executive producer Bernadette Caulfield and producer Chris Newman were also in Belfast for the screening of the first episode from the eighth season.

Cunningham, who plays Davos Seaworth, said the show had helped give the Northern Ireland film industry a boost.

"The people here and the talent and the quality of the work here is absolutely extraordinary," he said.

"There are people clamouring to get over here to make stuff."

Flynn, who plays Bronn, said it is "difficult because the whole thing is ending".

"I've never known a show like it, where people get together to watch it together, it becomes a communal event, and I'm really going to miss that," he said.

NI Screen has invested about £16m of public money over the eight seasons of the hit show.