BELFAST INSIDER
Hello Insider! 👋
Firstly, I want to say thanks to all of yous who sent in feedback from last week’s edition. It was class. Genuinely.
It tells us you enjoy reading Belfast Insider every Thursday, and we like that it’s becoming part of your lead-up to the weekend now. That’s very cool and slightly terrifying at the same time. But we’ve got you, and we’ll do all we can to make it worth your while.
Moving on, we thought we were properly into Spring there for a minute, then that sudden cold blast and those intermittent showers reminded us very quickly who’s actually in charge.
It always brings back the running joke that there’s no ideal month to visit Belfast because the weather can change its mind halfway through the day, but we love it anyway.
Hope you’ve been keeping safe out there.
Here’s everything happening around the city this week: no crime, no politics, just the good craic.
Belfast feels very Belfast this week. One minute, we’re talking about futuristic new trains and locally grown strawberries. Next, we’re watching people race homemade trolleys down a hill and somehow that feels just as exciting.
LET’S STEP INSIDE →
🗞️THE DIGEST: Belfast in Brief
🚄 Belfast–Dublin train line is finally getting the glow-up it deserves
Anyone who’s taken the Enterprise to Dublin has definitely sat there at some point muttering to themselves: “There has to be a better way.”
Now finally some good news. A major upgrade is finally on the way following a £548 million deal signed to bring eight modern intercity trains to the Belfast–Dublin route.
The new trains will improve the passenger experience with more accessible carriages, digital information systems, better luggage and bike storage, as well as a proper dining and bar area. With 400 seats in total, this will also be the island's first tri-mode fleet, running on electric, diesel, and battery power.
The enhanced acceleration and quieter trains aim to get the journey to under two hours.
It is due to arrive in late 2028, and honestly, we’re all looking forward to this one.
What’s your most chaotic Enterprise journey story?
🍓 M&S is now selling strawberries grown in Northern Ireland for the first time
You wouldn’t think strawberries would become one of the more satisfying local stories of the week, but here we are.
From May 13, all 22 Northern Ireland M&S stores will stock strawberries grown by O’Malley Berry Co in Loughgall, Co Armagh.
The deal has seen the farm expand with 20 growing tunnels that can hold 100,000 plants, with a growing period that now stretches beyond the traditional May to September season.
The strawberries are grown with rainwater collected from the farm's glasshouse roof. Every berry is still picked by hand and packed into cardboard punnets because owner Tim O’Malley specifically wanted to avoid plastic.
Something weirdly lovely about that.
The strawberries will also make their public debut at the Balmoral Show, which feels right. If Northern Ireland was going to unveil local strawberries anywhere, it was always going to be at the Balmoral show.
What local NI product deserves permanent shelf space everywhere?
💷 DfI has paid out over £1 million for pothole damage two years running
If you’ve driven through Belfast recently, gripping the steering wheel for dear life, this one will definitely interest you.
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has confirmed that the Department for Infrastructure paid out more than £1 million in pothole compensation for the second year running, which is somehow becoming normal now. To put that into perspective, the five-year average annual payout since 2021/22 was around £810,000.
What’s surprising is that part of the increase comes from more people realising they can actually claim for pothole damage in the first place. Bet a shocking number of people didn't know they could.
Somewhere across Northern Ireland, someone is unknowingly driving around on a refundable pothole right now.
There’s definitely a Belfast road everyone silently fears. Which one is it? Ours might be the beersbridge road.
Reply and tell us.
🏪 LOCAL BUSINESS SCOOP
Openings, Closures & Buzz Around Town
🍗Dundonald now has its own Wingstop
Wingstop has officially opened its second Northern Ireland location at East Point Entertainment Village beside Dundonald Ice Bowl, only weeks after launching on Boucher Crescent.
That didn’t take long at all. We hadn’t even properly tried the first outlet yet and there’s another one already. Good growth though.
Don't be surprised if one pops up in your neighbourhood soon. The company says it wants 20 locations across the island over the next seven years.
Have you had your Belfast Wingstop experience yet? What do you think? And where do you reckon they'll open next - city centre, South Belfast, or Ballyhackamore?
📍 East Point Entertainment Village, Dundonald 📸 @wingstopuk
💳Fleadh trading update
We told you about the Fleadh Cheoil opportunity a few weeks back. Here’s the next step.
Belfast City Council is running a free information session this Tuesday, 19 May, from 10am–11am at Room2 Hotel on Queen Street, covering everything you need to know about trading during the Fleadh.
Got questions on street pitches, licensing, or how to get set up before 800,000 visitors descend on the city in August. This is worth paying attention to if you’ve got a food business, market stall, brand or side hustle sitting in the background.
Register by emailing [email protected].
Don’t sleep on this one.
If you had a stall at the Fleadh, what would you sell?
Your Weekend Lineup
🎟️ WHAT’S HAPPENING:
Your guide to what’s on across Belfast & Northern Ireland
The events section has quietly become one of the reader favourites. Mostly because it gives people an excuse to leave the house.
From live music and theatre to soapbox racing and prize cattle, there’s something happening pretty much every day.
Featured Events
🏎️ Red Bull Soapbox Race — Stormont Estate | Sunday 17 May | 1:00 PM | Free
🐮 Balmoral Show — Eikon Exhibition Centre, Lisburn | Wed 13 – Sat 16 May | 9:30 AM | Tickets
Here’s the rest of the lineup. Ring a mate and go do something fun out there.
Thursday, May 14
Friday, May 15
Saturday, May 16
Sunday, May 17
Monday, May 18
Tuesday, May 19
Wednesday, May 20
💛 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Diverse Youth NI
Today, we're shining a light on Diverse Youth NI, an organisation dedicated to empowering young people across Northern Ireland. A silent institution, their mission is simple but profound: help young people find their voice, speak their truth, and lead change in their communities.
They create a safe space where young people can connect, express themselves, and step confidently into their identity. Through initiatives like the Inspire Now! BAME Annual Conference, they foster leadership, community, and courage — helping participants challenge inequality, embrace their potential, and make meaningful change.
The organisation works across five areas: well-being, skills, creativity, leadership, and voice and advocacy. The numbers back it up — in 2024/25 they delivered 2,432 youth engagements across 113 sessions, workshops, and events.
As one young person put it: "Inspire Now! has changed me as a person. I've never felt this confident in my voice before." Another added: "Being part of this space reminded me that I'm not alone. I belong — and I matter."
Diverse Youth NI is a registered charity (NIC 108130). Learn more and find out how to support their work at diverseyouthni.com
Nominate next week’s local hero. We love celebrating people and organizations doing good work in our communities.
🍽️ Foodie Finds
Osaka Belfast — Japanese done properly Spotted by: @keevaeats | Boucher Road, Belfast
When Keeva Eats walked into Osaka Belfast, the first thing that hit her wasn't the menu; it was the room. This is not your standard Japanese restaurant. The space is considered, ambient, and genuinely beautiful, the kind of place you photograph before you eat.
The katsu curry is crispy, tender, and perfectly balanced. The pork dumplings disappear from the plate far too quickly. And the salt and chilli chips are dangerously addictive. Cocktails come in under a tenner, and the staff know the menu well enough to actually guide you through it.
Sophisticated without being stuffy. Worth the visit.
Watch her review…
@keevaeats Japanese Restaurant in Belfast 🍣 🥟 🍛 Osaka, Belfast 📍 Great Japanese food on Boucher Road! #belfast #belfastcity #belfasttiktok #belfastf... See more
📍 Boucher Road, Belfast | 📸 @keevaeats
What Belfast restaurant are you gatekeeping at the minute?
If something made you laugh, you spotted something interesting around your area, or you think there’s a story we’ve missed, hit reply and send it over. We read every single one.
Half the fun of this city is the stuff that never properly gets out there.
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See you next time.
The Belfast Insider team
At's us nai 👋