Name: Summer Rose Fair
Start: 2026-07-03T12:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-07-05T17:00:00+01:00
Location: Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park

Contents

Free weekend at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park
Music, dance and family activities across three days
Food stalls and an arts village for weekend visitors
Lord Mayor invites residents and visitors

Award-winning roses will be back in bloom at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park when the Summer Rose Fair returns to Belfast for a free three-day run from Friday 3 July to Sunday 5 July.

The annual festival will take place from 12pm to 5pm each day, with free entry for families, residents and visitors. Belfast City Council says the weekend programme will bring together thousands of roses in the park’s famous rose garden, live entertainment, food stalls, children’s activities and carnival rides.

Free weekend at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park

The Summer Rose Fair is centred on Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, one of Belfast’s best-known green spaces and home to the rose garden that gives the event its focus.

Detail	Information
Event	Summer Rose Fair
Dates	Friday 3 July to Sunday 5 July
Time	12pm to 5pm each day
Venue	Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, Belfast
Entry	Free
Best for	Families, garden visitors and general festival-goers

The City of Belfast International Rose Trials will be judged on Monday 6 July, after the public weekend. Visitors during the fair will still be able to see the thousands of blooms on display across the rose garden throughout the event.

For readers planning a wider cultural weekend in the city, the fair sits alongside other Belfast events this season, including summer exhibitions at Titanic Belfast.

Music, dance and family activities across three days

The programme is built around a mix of garden displays and family entertainment rather than a single main-stage format.

Belfast City Council says the kids’ zone will include carnival rides, arts and crafts, lawn games and family activities. Bubble shows and family entertainment are also listed across the weekend.

Live performances will include local musicians and bands, with a Rat Pack tribute act, a Drifters tribute band and acoustic singer-songwriter Aaron Jamieson among those named in the council’s programme. Fortwilliam Musical Society is also due to perform musical theatre pieces during the fair.

Irish dance displays from Trim the Velvet will feature as part of the weekend, with the council linking the performances to the build-up to Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann. Baking demonstrations from local TikTok favourite Cheryl Bakes are also part of the line-up.

Food stalls and an arts village for weekend visitors

Food will be part of the practical draw for families planning to stay in the park for several hours. The programme includes local food stalls, with vendors serving hot food, sweet treats and refreshments.

An arts and crafts village will run on Saturday and Sunday, adding a browsing element to the weekend beyond the rose garden and stage entertainment.

The fair’s shape makes it a flexible visit: people can come for the roses, bring children for the activity zone, or drop in for food and performances during the afternoon window. The source notice does not list booking requirements, transport arrangements or accessibility details, so visitors should plan around the confirmed venue, date, time and free-entry status.

Lord Mayor invites residents and visitors

Launching the event, Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Rois-Maire Donnelly described the Summer Rose Fair as a free weekend out celebrating Belfast’s community spirit and Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park’s green space.

She encouraged residents and visitors to attend and said she hoped the sun would shine.

The confirmed public opening times are Friday 3 July, Saturday 4 July and Sunday 5 July, from 12pm to 5pm each day, at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park in Belfast.

Source: Belfast City Council