BELFAST INSIDER
Week of February 26th - March 4th, 2026
Hello Belfast,
Last Sunday morning, we stopped by Lazy Claire Patisserie ahead of its final days.
It was one of those moments that reminds you what neighbourhood really means. A steady queue. Familiar faces. Staff still smiling as people ordered “one last time.”
A proper send-off.
This week, it is a mix of big long-term energy, rising prices, transport patience, and a few good reasons to get out of the house.
LET’S STEP INSIDE ❤️→
📰THE DIGEST: Belfast in Brief
🍀 Belfast Is Going Big for St Patrick’s Day 2026
St Patrick’s Day in Belfast is no longer a one afternoon affair. This year, celebrations run from 1 to 17 March. Parade, Festival Village, five-day trad music festival, Irish language events, Markets, and major concerts across the city.
From the 1.30pm parade at Belfast City Hall to Cathedral Quarter festivities and an expanded Belfast TradFest programme, it is a full two-week takeover.
We have put together a full guide, so you do not miss a thing.
Two weeks of celebration. Are you in, or is it too much?
🍺 The £6 Pint Is Now Normal in Belfast City Centre
Remember when Belfast felt like a bargain compared to Dublin? Those days are gone. City centre pints now average over £6, putting Belfast ahead of Dublin and well ahead of Glasgow.
In fairness, more than £3 of that goes to the brewery and government before the pub sees a penny. Yet some of the city’s biggest hospitality groups are still posting multi-million pound profits.
Who is actually feeling the squeeze? What’s your walk-away price for a pint in the city centre?
Source: Irish News
🚌 The Glider. But Make It 2033
The North to South Glider was meant to be run by 2027. Now it’s looking like 2033. That means another seven years of three buses arriving at once on the Ormeau Road.
By the time it opens, half the kids currently in secondary school will have finished university.
No outrage though, No surprise. Just the very Belfast shrug.
Sure, it will be great when it gets here.
Do you still back the North to South Glider, even with the delay? Or have you accepted that Belfast timelines are… always flexible?
Source: Belfast Live
🏪 LOCAL BUSINESS SCOOP
Openings, Closures & Buzz Around Town
🏆 Catalyst Named NI and Ireland’s Top Startup Hub
Belfast’s own Catalyst has been ranked 7th in the UK and 1st on the island of Ireland for startup support by the Financial Times.
The innovation hub supports ambitious ventures with workspace, lab facilities and growth programmes. It is also the only non-London UK hub in Europe’s top ten for workspace quality.
This builds on recent momentum in the city’s tech scene. Just weeks ago, Techstars officially launched its first ever Northern Ireland accelerator in Belfast, based at Ormeau Labs in partnership with Queen's University Belfast.
Together, it signals something bigger. Belfast is not just “emerging.” It is stacking serious infrastructure for founders.
Not bad for a city often told it is behind the curve. Got a business idea rattling around? This might be your sign.
Does this change how you see Belfast as a place to build something?
🍗Wingstop Opens Monday 9th March
We told you it was coming. Wingstop officially opens its Belfast doors at Boucher Place on Monday 9th March. If the Dublin launch queues were anything to go by, get there early.
Will you queue for it, or wait for the hype to die down?
Your Weekend Lineup
🎟️ WHAT’S HAPPENING:
Your guide to what’s on across Belfast & Northern Ireland
From big headline moments to small room gems, there is always something happening if you know where to look. Here is what is worth your time over the next few days.
Thursday, February 26
Friday, February 27
Saturday, February 28
Sunday, March 1
Monday, March 2
Tuesday, March 3
Wednesday, March 4
What are you booking tickets for this week?
💛 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Loaf Catering
You have probably walked past The Bobbin Coffee Shop at Belfast City Hall without realising it is doing something remarkable.
Loaf Catering is a social enterprise under the NOW Group. Every coffee and every catered event funds employment and training for people with learning disabilities and autism.
In the past three years, the NOW Group has supported 5,376 people and helped 814 into paid employment. For every £1 invested, £23 in social value is generated. Their JAM Card initiative has helped 82,000 people communicate more easily in daily life.
In a city that talks a lot about inclusion, Loaf is quietly getting on with it.
One coffee at a time.
🌐 loafcatering.com | 📸 @loafcatering
Know a business doing quiet good? Reply and tell us.
🍽️ RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK
Six by Nico. Lost in Paris.
Our Valentine’s date spot this year was Six by Nico on Waring Street.
Red candles. Cosy lighting. Smiling waiters explaining each course.
Six courses built around French classics. Aged beef tartare. Black pollock with lobster jus. Roasted chicken with boudin blanc and truffle ketchup.
Highlight. The barbecued leek with Gruyère royale.
Finish with crème brûlée and poached pear and you understand why it was packed at 12:15 on Valentine’s Day.
Our take. Fine dining without the stuffiness. Cathedral Quarter’s best kept date night secret.
Price. Around £127 for six courses for two with wine.
Find it. 29 to 31 Waring Street, BT1 2DX
Book. sixbynico.co.uk | 📸 @sixbynicobelfast
Worth £127 for date night, or better options elsewhere?
Six by Nico Belfast — Lost in Paris
💬 YOUR VOICE
Forward this to someone you kno who would like it.
If this came from a friend, we send one email every Thursday. No crime. No politics. Just the good craic.
That is Belfast this week.
Big plans.
Rising costs.
Delays we half expected.
Bright spots we should not overlook.
The city moves in fits and starts.
Some of it frustrating.
Some of it exciting.
All of it worth paying attention to.
See you next Thursday.
Belfast Insider
Published every Thursday
For people who live here.
Until next time,
Let’s get the craic on!