Planning your visit to the Fleadh in Belfast? Whether you’re travelling by air, ferry, train, bus or car, there are travel options to get you to the heart of the event.
Before you travel
To help everyone to move with the rhythm of the Fleadh, visitors are encouraged to plan ahead, allow extra time for journeys and choose Park and Ride, public transport or active travel wherever possible.
To create a safe and welcoming event zone for Fleadh 2026, Belfast city centre will be pedestrianised. With road closures and parking restrictions in place, visitors are strongly encouraged to avoid driving into the city centre.
Public transport
Translink is Northern Ireland’s public transport provider
- Ulsterbus and NI Railways services connect towns and cities across Northern Ireland
- Goldliner coach services on key routes
- Metro and Glider services operate across Belfast
- Cross-border coach and train services connect Dublin to Belfast Grand Central Station
During the Fleadh, they will be providing enhanced services. For full details including how to access to their Journey Planner app, visit translink.co.uk/fleadh.
Park and Ride
If you’re driving from outside Belfast, Park and Ride will offer the easiest and most popular way to reach the city centre.
Three dedicated Park and Ride sites will operate throughout the Fleadh in Belfast. Positioned on the main approach routes into Belfast, they offer a straightforward, low‑cost way to complete your journey into the city centre.
The three Park and Ride sites for Fleadh Belfast will be located at:
- Eikon Exhibition Centre, Sprucefield (near the M1)
- Giant’s Park (near the M2)
- Belfast Harbour (near the M3)
Parking at each of the Park and Ride sites costs £10 per day. Each site will be serviced by free, frequent shuttle buses running directly to Belfast’s main transport stations, which are a short walk from the city centre. Shuttle services will use bus lanes to support smoother journeys.
To support visitors of all ages and abilities, all shuttle buses will be fully accessible, with low‑floor vehicles. Blue Badge parking will be available at each Park and Ride site.
Park and Ride is expected to be the most popular choice for people arriving by car, offering a reliable way to avoid road closures and parking challenges. Choosing Park and Ride provides secure parking and helps keep your journey moving.
Find out more including how to book here.
Ways to arrive
Arriving by air or ferry
Visitors arriving at Belfast or Dublin airports, can benefit from frequent public transport links to Belfast city centre. Services drop passengers at the main transport stations, making onward travel simple.
Journey times for Translink services to Belfast Grand Central Station are approximately:
40 minutes from Belfast International Airport
20 minutes from Belfast City Airport
Travel to Belfast by ferry with Stena Line from as little as 2 hours and 15 minutes. As one of Europe’s leading ferry companies they offer the widest choice of routes to Ireland, including travel by car, motorhome, caravan, foot, rail and coach. Sailing from Cairnryan – Belfast, Liverpool – Belfast, Holyhead – Dublin and Fishguard – Rosslare.
Arriving by train or bus
Belfast’s main rail and bus stations are located within easy walking distance of the city centre. Additional onward connections will also be available throughout the Fleadh.
Arriving by car
If you are driving to Belfast, please use one of the three dedicated Park and Ride facilities:
- Eikon Exhibition Centre, Sprucefield
- Giant’s Park
- Belfast Harbour
Booking is available via RingGo with details available from link above.
Do I need extra car insurance if I bring my vehicle to Northern Ireland?
You should always carry a valid driver’s licence and proof of vehicle insurance when you drive. Additional insurance is generally not required if travelling from The Republic of Ireland but please check with your insurer.
Remember that speed and distance traffic information is in miles per hour rather than kilometres once you cross the border. Please adjust your speed accordingly.
Arriving by private coach services
Dedicated coach drop‑off facilities have been made available within walking distance of the city‑centre event zone. Coach operators will advise passengers about drop‑off and collection arrangements.
Getting around Belfast during the Fleadh
Once you arrive in Belfast, it’s easy to get around on foot, by bike or using public transport.
Belfast is a compact, flat and very walkable city and particularly within the pedestrianised city centre zone.
If you are arriving at Belfast Grand Central Station or Laganside Bus Station, it will take you less than 10 minutes to walk to Belfast City Hall.
Walking distances between venues and performance spaces are short. For example, it’s about:
- 10 minutes on foot from Belfast City Hall to Belfast Cathedral (Official Food and Drink Village)
- 15 minutes from Ulster Hall to Ulster University
- 20 minutes from Waterfront Hall to Belfast Met Millfield Campus (Instrument workshops)
Signage and volunteers will be also available throughout the city centre to help orientate visitors and offer directions.
A fully accessible city‑centre loop shuttle will operate around the pedestrianised event zone supporting visitors with mobility needs, families and those carrying musical instruments or equipment.
Cycling and public bike hire
Belfast has a growing network of cycle lanes and a public bike hire scheme, Frank and Honest Belfast Bikes, with over 50 docking stations and 400 bikes across the city, including electric bikes.
To celebrate Belfast hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann for the first time, Frank and Honest Belfast Bikes by Beryl is offering 20% off 100 Minute Bundles in the week leading up to and throughout the festival (27 July to 9 August). You can use promocode: FLEADH20 to purchase 100 minutes of ride time for just £5.60* (usually £7), with free pedal bike unlocks when using bundle minutes.
Download the Beryl app, use promocode: FLEADH20 claim your 20% off 100 Minute Bundle. To buy a Belfast Bikes bundle, download the Beryl app on your iOS or Android device, create an account, and navigate to the ‘passes’ or ‘bundles’ section in the app menu to select your minutes.
You can find out more at belfastbikes.co.uk
Taxis
Taxis are widely available across the city. Local firms such as Value Cabs and Fonacab operate throughout Belfast, and app‑based services including Uber are also available. Demand is likely to be higher during the Fleadh. Some taxi ranks will be temporarily relocated. There will be 6 clearly marked pick-up and drop-off points around the edge of the pedestrianised area, helping visitors travel safely and easily in and out of the city centre.
By choosing sustainable travel, you’ll help everyone move with the rhythm of the Fleadh - thank you for helping keep the city flowing for all.