BELFAST INSIDER
Week of March 12th – 18th 2026
Hello Insider, 👋
It’s the lead-up to Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.
Which means one thing.
Belfast is busy.
From parades and concerts to packed pubs and pop-up events, this might be the most event-filled week in the city so far this year.
Here’s what’s buzzing in the city! →
THE DIGEST: Belfast in Brief
🦁 Belfast Says Goodbye to Two Beloved Lionesses
If you’ve ever visited Belfast Zoo, there’s a good chance Thheiba and Fidda stopped you in your tracks.
The two Barbary lion sisters spent every day of their 22 years together. This week, they passed away peacefully. And honestly, Belfast feels a little quieter for it.
Twenty-two is an incredible age for a lion.
But here’s the part that hits hardest.
When Thheiba’s health declined, vets said Fidda couldn’t be left alone. Lions are deeply social animals, and the sisters had never lived apart.
So they went together.
The same way they had done everything else.
Never apart. Right to the end.
During their lives they helped protect a species, producing cubs through a conservation programme safeguarding Barbary lions, now extinct in the wild.
Belfast Zoo has had lions since the 1960s.
But these two?
They were the ones Belfast fell in love with.
Did you ever see Thheiba and Fidda at the zoo?
Reply and tell us your favourite Belfast Zoo memory.
💸 The Belfast Street That Generated £8.4M in Fines
Right. Hands up.
Who’s been caught on Great Victoria Street?
Turns out you’re not alone. New Freedom of Information data shows that one road generated £8.4 million in fines last year. That’s 6,449 Penalty Charge Notices, mostly for bus lane offences.
Not a speed trap.
More like a revenue stream.
To be fair, anyone who has driven that stretch knows the feeling. Lanes merge. Signs appear late. And suddenly you’re wondering:
“Wait… was that a bus lane?”
More than half of UK drivers say confusing signage is what catches them out. If Great Victoria Street is anything to go by, Belfast might be exhibit A.
Worth knowing. Some fines can be challenged if signage is unclear.
Just saying.
Be honest. Have you ever been caught in that bus lane?
👩💼 Nine Northern Irish Women Already Defining 2026
Need proof Northern Ireland is punching above its weight?
Start here.
Lisa McGee – Back at number one on Netflix with How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, proving local stories can resonate everywhere.
Hope Macaulay – Her North Coast “Colossal Knit” cardigans went global after appearing on The Traitors.
Sophie Smith – Just became the youngest ever Northern Ireland Chef of the Year. The first student to win it.
Julie-Ann Haines – This summer she becomes chief executive of Danske Bank UK. Only the second woman in its 200-year history.
Ciara Mageean – Preparing her autobiography My Greatest Race while fighting cancer with, in her words, “the same fight I’ve always brought to the track.”
Wendy Erskine – Started writing in her fifties. Now longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Brónagh Diamond – West Belfast comedian heading out on tour with her new show The Craic’s 90.
Kate O’Connor – Four medals from four appearances in 2025. The Newry heptathlete doesn’t miss.
Jennifer Smyth – Paralysed at 16. Opened Northern Ireland’s first gym for people with neurological conditions.
Nine women. Nine fields. Northern Ireland making an impact far beyond its size.
Who else deserves a shout this year?
Reply and we might feature them next week.
🥂🧾 And Belfast, We Need to Talk About the Valentine's Wine Bill…
Turns out Northern Ireland takes romance very seriously. Shoppers here spent almost £5 million extra on Champagne and wine in the run-up to Valentine's Day last month. £2.6m on fizz alone. And for those who skipped the restaurant and stayed in? Ready meal sales were up 15.5%. No judgment. Meanwhile, Shrove Tuesday had people bulk-buying pancake ingredients.
But 55% of households still opted for pre-made pancakes, spending £4.2m in total.
The moral of the story?
Northern Ireland doesn't do things halfway.
Romance. Pancakes, or a quiet night in with a bottle of something nice. You can always take a cue from our romantic getaway guide if you’re planning a proper escape.
Restaurant dinner or staying in with wine and a takeaway?
🏪 LOCAL BUSINESS SCOOP
Openings, Closures & Buzz Around Town
🏨 Belfast City Centre's Hotel Boom Continues
Another boutique hotel could soon be joining Belfast's rapidly expanding hospitality scene. The Clover Group, the people behind Margot and the new nightclub Rudi, have submitted plans to convert the upper floors of the historic Clarence Chambers Building on Donegall Square East into 20 luxury bedrooms and a penthouse suite with a private bar and outdoor hot tub.
This lands just weeks before The Bedford Hotel opens its doors on May 1st, bringing 82 rooms, 100+ new jobs, and Noel McMeel's kitchen to the restored Scottish Mutual Building. Belfast is quietly becoming one of the UK’s fastest-growing hospitality hubs. The only question locals might be asking? Is this why pints are already past £6?
Are £6 pints the new normal in Belfast?
🚚 Trade Could Get Easier for Northern Ireland Businesses
Hot off the press this week.
Worth knowing if you run a business in Northern Ireland or simply buy food.
The UK government is exploring changes that could significantly cut the paperwork, checks and certificates involved in moving food and agricultural goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The aim is also to make it easier for UK businesses to export and import agri-food products with the European Union.
Since 2018, UK food exports to the EU have fallen by 22 percent, a drop of nearly £4 billion in trade. The proposed agreement hopes to reverse that by reducing red tape and speeding up how goods move across borders.
Thanks to the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland businesses already have a unique advantage. They can sell goods into both the UK internal market and the EU single market, something very few regions in Europe can do.
If trade rules become simpler, that dual-market access could become even more valuable for local farmers, food producers and retailers.
A six-week consultation is now open, giving businesses the chance to share their views before any final agreement is reached.
Your Weekend Lineup
🎟️ WHAT’S HAPPENING:
Belfast’s events calendar is packed this week. Between Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day festivities, keep an eye out for pop-up events, street music, and family-friendly activities.
Thursday, March 12
Friday, March 13
Saturday, March 14
Sunday, March 15
Monday, March 16
Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day)
Wednesday, March 18
Which event are you going to this week?
💛 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Cats Protection NI
If you're a cat person in Belfast, this number might stop you mid-scroll.
Last year alone, the team at their Dundonald centre found 545 cats and kittens a forever home. From newborns to an 11-year-old lady named Kiki who's apparently still full of beans and looking for a quiet home. The centre runs entirely on volunteers, and right now they have some brilliant characters waiting, including a distinguished gentleman called Sir Arthur Guinness who came in via the North Antrim team and is ready for his next chapter. You don't have to adopt to help. They need volunteers, fundraisers, and people willing to help with neutering support across the region.
🐾 Adopt or volunteer: cats.org.uk/northernireland | 📍 270 Belfast Road, Dundonald | 📞 02890 480202
Adopted a rescue pet in Belfast?
📸 Send us a photo. We might feature them→
🍽️ Foodie Finds
🍗Wingstop Has Landed in Belfast - Here’s What to Order
Belfast's most searched restaurant opening this week? Wingstop.
We told you it was coming. It's here.
Wingstop landed on the Boucher Road this week and NI Food Reviews on TikTok has already eaten through the entire menu so you don't have to. The verdict? Order the hickory smoked barbecue wings (10/10), the lemon pepper fries (10/10 — "my favourite thing at Wingstop"), and dip everything in the ranch, which apparently beats every other fast-food dip in the game. The Cajun corn is a hidden gem at 9/10. Avoid the lemon pepper corn — reviewer's words, "it tasted like the lemon wipes you get after your wings." And nobody is talking enough about the white chocolate Oreo churros (9/10). Yes, Wingstop does churros. You're welcome.
📍 Boucher Road, Belfast | 📸 Watch the full review - @nifoodreviews
Best wings in Belfast right now?
Wingstop or somewhere local?
💬 YOUR VOICE
What should Belfast Insider cover more of?
• Food spots
• Local news
• Hidden gems
• Events
🗳️ POLL OF THE WEEK
Or just hit reply and tell us what you liked.
We read every message.
That's it for this week.
Between Mother’s Day plans and St Patrick’s celebrations, Belfast is about to get busy.
Parades.
Live music.
Packed pubs.
The city always feels a little different this week - in the best way.
By the way, we also published a full St Patrick’s Day Guide. Feel free to check it out here.
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At’s us nai 👋
The Belfast Insider Team.
Until next time,
Let’s get the craic on!