Elections to Belfast City Council were held on 18 May 1977 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.

The UUP remained the largest party, and James Stewart became Lord Mayor.

The narrow unionist majority of one on the council resulted in David Cook from Alliance becoming Lord Mayor in 1978, the first non-unionist Lord Mayor since 1898.

1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard, 1 x NILP 1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP 1973-1977 Change: DUP (two seats), Alliance and SDLP gain from UUP (two seats), Vanguard and NILP 1973: 5 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x United Loyalist 1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UPNI, 1 x DUP 1973-1977 Change: Alliance, UPNI and DUP gain from UUP (two seats) and United Loyalist 1973: 4 x UUP, 2 x Alliance 1977: 3 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 1 x UPNI 1973-1977 Change: Alliance and UPNI gain from UUP (two seats) 1973: 4 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance 1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance 1973-1977 Change: No change 1973: 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x NILP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x United Loyalist, 1 x Independent Unionist 1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent, 1 x Independent Unionist 1973-1977 Change: UUP and Independent gain from NILP and United Loyalist 1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Republican Clubs 1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance 1973-1977 Change: Alliance gain from UUP 1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist 1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance 1973-1977 Change: DUP and Republican Clubs gain from UUP and Independent Unionist 1973: 5 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP 1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1977-1981 Change: Alliance, DUP and Independent Unionist gain from UUP (three seats)