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.

1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance 1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP 1993-1997 Change: SDLP gain from DUP 1993: 2 x UUP, 2 SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin 1993-1997 Change: Alliance and Sinn Féin gain from UUP and SDLP, Independent Unionist joins UUP 1993: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UDP 1993-1997 Change: UDP gain from Independent Unionist 1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance 1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance 1993-1997 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP 1993: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP 1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP 1993-1997 Change: No change 1993: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP 1997: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP 1993-1997 Change: PUP gain from UUP 1993: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance 1997: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Alliance 1993-1997 Change: PUP gain from DUP 1993: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP 1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP 1993-1997 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP 1993: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP 1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1993-1997 Change: Independent Unionist gain from UUP