A grand red-brick-and-iron hall near the river, packed at the weekend with local food, crafts, fresh produce and live music — said to be Belfast's last surviving Victorian covered market.
What you'll find — local food and street food, cheese and fresh fish, bread and cakes, crafts and antiques, flowers and records, and live music playing over it all. Come for breakfast or brunch and just drift.
When it's on — Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, a Friday Variety Market, a Saturday City Food & Craft Market and a Sunday Market, each with its own flavour. Closed Monday to Thursday.
Price — free to walk in; you only pay for what you buy from the stalls.
Getting there — right in the city centre off East Bridge Street. There's parking nearby, but the train or a short walk in is often the easier shout at the weekend.
Bring — some cash for the smaller stalls, a bag for what you didn't plan to buy, and an appetite. All under cover, so weather-proof.
Family & dogs — flat and step-free for prams and wheelchairs, plenty to point at for the kids, and dogs on leads are welcome.
Weekend only — check the days & times. It runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings into the afternoon (check the current hours); the hall is quiet the rest of the week.
Go early. It gets busy by late morning — arrive earlier for the easier parking and the pick of the good stalls before they sell out.
Plan your visit
Can I just turn up? Yes — and it's free.
No ticket, no booking — you just walk in, and it costs nothing to browse. Belfast City Council runs it across three days: the Friday Variety Market (8am–2pm), the Saturday City Food & Craft Market (9am–3pm) and the Sunday Market (10am–3pm). There's a quiet hour at the start of each day — music off and noise turned down — if a calmer visit suits you or the kids. Hours can shift for holidays and big events, so it's worth a quick check on the day.
Hot food & coffeeToilets & baby changingLevel, step-free accessLive musicDogs on leads welcome
Weekend only:
The market runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday — the hall is closed the rest of the week. Hours can change for public holidays and big events (the council has flagged extended hours for the Fleadh in early August 2026), so confirm on the day before a special trip.
Before you set off
What to bring
💷Some cashPlenty of stalls take cards, but a few smaller ones prefer cash — handy for a quick bite or a coffee.
🛍️A tote or bagYou'll want it. Cheese, bread, flowers, a record you didn't plan to buy — it adds up fast.
🍽️An appetiteLoads of hot food to eat right there. Come hungry and make it breakfast or lunch.
☔Nothing weather-wiseIt's all under the great glass roof — a perfect wet-weekend plan, dry whatever's going on outside.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Free to walk in — no admission charge. You only pay for what you buy from the stalls.
Days & hours
Friday Variety Market 8am–2pm; Saturday City Food & Craft Market 9am–3pm; Sunday Market 10am–3pm. Closed Monday to Thursday. Hours can vary for holidays and events — confirm on the day.
Quiet hour
A calmer, lower-noise hour at the start of each market: 9–10am on Friday and Saturday, 10–11am on Sunday.
What you'll find
Local food and produce, cheese and fish, fresh bread and cakes, hot food to eat there, crafts, antiques, flowers, records and gifts — plus live music across the market.
Food
A big part of the day — coffee, breakfast baps and hot food from around the world, with seating to eat in.
Toilets
Toilet blocks on the Verner Street side, including an accessible toilet with baby-changing. A free water-refill station sits near the East Bridge Street entrance.
Dogs
Dogs on leads are welcome, with water bowls at the May Street entrance.
Getting around
Level, step-free access throughout the hall — easy for prams and wheelchairs. A detailed access guide is on AccessAble via the council site.
Parking
Nearby city-centre car parks; the council notes discounted rates at Lanyon Place (via the APCOA Connect app) — verify current rates. It's a short walk from the city centre and Central Station.
How long
Allow an hour or two — longer if you settle in for food and music.
Questions
Before you go
What days is it open?
Friday, Saturday and Sunday only — Friday 8am–2pm, Saturday 9am–3pm and Sunday 10am–3pm. It's closed Monday to Thursday, so plan for the weekend. Hours can change for holidays and events, so it's worth confirming on the day.
Is it free to get in?
Yes — free to walk in and browse. You only spend if you buy something from the stalls.
Is it good for kids and prams?
Great for all ages — it's flat and step-free, so prams and wheelchairs get around easily, and there's plenty to look at. There's a quiet hour at the start of each day if a calmer visit suits.
Can I bring the dog?
Yes — dogs on leads are welcome, and there are water bowls at the May Street entrance.
Is there food to eat there?
Loads of it — coffee, breakfast baps and hot food from around the world, with seating to eat in. It's a big part of the morning.
Where do I park?
Nearby city-centre car parks; the council flags discounted rates at Lanyon Place through the APCOA Connect app — worth checking the current rate. It's also a short walk from the city centre and Central Station.
Getting there
12–20 East Bridge Street, Belfast BT1 3NQ — on the corner of May Street and East Bridge Street, a short walk from Belfast city centre and Central Station, with city-centre car parks nearby.
St George's is thought to be the last of Belfast's Victorian covered markets still standing, built between 1890 and 1896 on a site said to have held a market for centuries before. The great iron frame and the glazed pitched roof are the originals — the same span of light and air that traders worked under more than a hundred years ago.
Today it's a much-decorated market — it's picked up national market awards over the years — and one of the best-loved things to do in the city on a weekend — food, crafts, antiques and music under that grand old roof. The council has kept it going as a genuinely local, family- and dog-friendly place, free for anyone to walk in and enjoy.