It has been 35 years since CastleCourt Shopping Centre opened on Belfast’s Royal Avenue, and management is inviting visitors to the city centre to celebrate this Easter weekend.
Saturday 19th April 2025 will mark exactly 35 years since the iconic shopping centre was officially opened in 1990 by Sir Reg Empey OBE, the then Lord Mayor of Belfast, before eager shoppers flooded in the front doors, greeted by a celebratory band and a host of cherished and well-known brands who had opted for CastleCourt as their first step into Belfast’s shopping district.
Shoppers can expect the same party atmosphere over the birthday weekend with live DJ sets and performances by Beat Carnival who will get the whole mall on their feet with their signature sounds.
CastleCourt Centre Manager, Leona Barr, says the weekend has been designed to celebrate the shoppers and visitors who have continued to return to the Centre over the years; “We were the first of our kind to open in the city centre back in the ‘90s, and it was a huge commitment to Belfast at a time when there was still some unrest and challenges. We are so delighted to not only still be open but to be thriving alongside our tenants who make us the unique destination we are today.”
Today, CastleCourt is home to 61 retailers, 13 food outlets throughout the mall and the food court, and The Avenue cinema, named after the picture house that once stood on the same site almost 100 years ago.
The Avenue provides a luxury cinema experience with a full bar offering, plus hot food from a menu that can be enjoyed from the velvet sofas throughout the nine screens, or at the bar and restaurant, adding to the variety that makes CastleCourt a top city centre destination.
In recent years, TK Maxx has moved back into CastleCourt, taking up substantial unit space left by Debenhams after its closure in 2021. The retailer has been joined by brands including New Look, Starbucks, and most recently, London fashion house, Vanilla.
Leona continued; “Debenhams was our anchor tenant for years, but after it closed and shopper demands changed, we saw the opportunity to create a new and vibrant destination for CastleCourt, not just for shopping but for hospitality and leisure, and this proposition has been an asset to the Centre as well as our other tenants.”
Other stores that have chosen CastleCourt for new outlets in recent years include Trespass, Gregg’s, MINISO, Jacqueline Rooney Art, Rhiannon’s Cakes & Bakes, DV8, Schuh and Schuh Kids, BPerfect and Exclusive Designs.
To mark this milestone, Rhiannon’s Cakes & Bakes, situated at the Centre’s food court, made a celebratory cake in the original CastleCourt branding from when it first opened in 1990.
CastleCourt’s 35th birthday celebration events will kick off on Thursday 17th April from 11am with free face painting and chance to meet and greet beloved story characters including Disney princesses and superheroes and Peter Rabbit. On Friday 18th April, Fizz Whizz POP will host three hourly magic shows from 11am, while free candyfloss and balloon modelling will also be available.
On the big birthday itself, Saturday 19th April, the mall will come alive with music, there will be birthday cake for all visitors from 10am, and a chance to meet Star Wars characters who will be bringing the Force to the centre from 11am. Visitors will be entertained by jugglers, balloon modelling and face painting from 11am – 2pm, and there will be an opportunity for shoppers to win one of 35 prizes that will be given away throughout the afternoon with broadcaster, Gerry Lavz.
For all information, timings and locations, visit castlecourt-uk.com.
