- €6m redevelopment of Cathedral Gardens underway.
- Features events space, Blitz memorial, play areas, lighting, and projections.
- Includes green elements with sustainable rainwater use.
- Part of broader city centre regeneration,
- Belfast Stories and residential projects.
- Expected to reopen in spring 2027.
Work has started on the €6m redevelopment of Cathedral Gardens in Belfast by the city council. The project aims to create a public space between St Anne’s Cathedral and Ulster University. The area will include a multi-use events space, a memorial for Belfast Blitz victims, a nature-inspired play area, and an interactive digital zone for children.
Advanced lighting will allow colour changes, with projections on the university walls. Mature trees, lawn, plants, and shrubs will add green elements, with rainwater captured for irrigation. The space will host events like Culture Night, concerts, festivals, and markets.
The redevelopment forms part of council investments, including Belfast Stories on Royal Avenue by 2030, Assembly Rooms purchase, and €336m residential developments with GRAHAM. Vacant to Vibrant grants have restored 48 properties since 2022. The gardens will reopen in spring 2027.
Tracy Kelly shared “The Cathedral Gardens regeneration project is both ambitious and innovative. Our aim to create a world class urban space where families, students, workers and visitors can meet, relax and be entertained all year round, both night and day.”
“We also want the space to become an events and cultural hub, helping reinvigorate this part of the city centre which is undergoing a transformation. We look forward to it hosting numerous small and large-scale events ranging from Culture Night, music concerts and children’s festivals, to food “markets and much more besides, helping to support and boost the city’s annual cultural programme.”
“This area was badly impacted by air raids during World War 2, so Cathedral Gardens will be a fitting home to a new Belfast Blitz Memorial – a space where people can pause, reflect and honour those who lost their lives.”
“In the last few years the council has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring our city centre continues to thrive and grow. Belfast Stories, a stunning new public space, visitor attraction and creative hub for the city will open on Royal Avenue in 2030. We recently purchased the historic Assembly Rooms in Cathedral Quarter, and work is now underway to carefully consider options for its future use.”
“We also want to increase the number of people living in the city centre as part of long-term strategic plans, so our partnership with GRAHAM to deliver £280m worth of residential-led, mixed use city centre developments will play its part in achieving that.”
“This cluster of council-led development, along with the stunning new Ulster University campus, major student housing schemes and other investment in the vicinity, will truly revitalise this area of the city centre.”
“Our successful Vacant to Vibrant initiative has also seen 48 grants awarded since 2022 to help restore vacant city centre properties. So we are delivering a broad range of initiatives to make the city centre the very best it can be.”
