Belfast Christmas Shopping Guide

Victoria Square is a mecca for Christmas shopping. From designer to high street brands, stores include Fossil, Flannels, Guess, Mango, My Sister’s Closet, Topshop, Hollister and many more. For jewellery, head to Lunn’s the Jewellers, and go to the Apple store (the only one in Ireland) for the latest iPhones and Apple watches. L’Occitane, Kiehl’s and Rituals are perfect for quality beauty products, or find comfy pyjamas in Boux Avenue.

Fancy a new look for yourself? Book a Virtual Personal Styling session with Victoria Square’s resident stylist Katherin Farries. You can have a consultation from the comfort of your own home, then collect your chosen items from Victoria Square at a time that suits you!

Don’t forget your face mask while shopping in the centre. Signage and one way systems are in place to encourage social distancing and hand sanitising stations are located throughout the building. Car park is available in the on-site Q-Park, from £3.40 per hour.

CastleCourt shopping centre offers all your favourite high street stores under one roof. Go to Debenhams for fragrances, beauty products, gift boxes and homeware; and find women’s fashion and accessories in New Look, Dorothy Perkins, Matalan and Villa. Visit the Yankee Candle shop for Christmas candles and Wrapped Up for local art. In O’Neills, you’ll find something for sports fans and The Entertainer has a huge selection of kids’ toys and games.

Social distancing measures are in place and hand sanitising stations are located throughout the centre. Wear your face mask while visiting to. Looking for somewhere handy to leave the car? Parking is available on-site from £1.90 per hour.

Next to Victoria Square is the Cornmarket area, which includes Ann Street, Castle Lane and Arthur Street. Wander along each street to find stores like Seasalt and Avoca for womenswear, accessories, jewellery and gifts.

Featuring many independent shops, Queen’s Arcade is the perfect place to find unique Christmas presents. Choose from Lunn’s for stunning jewellery and Robinson’s Shoes, which is home to high quality men’s and women’s footwear.

Belfast’s main shopping street runs from the front of Belfast City Hall to CastleCourt. Along Donegall Place you’ll find a host of popular brands, including Next, M&S, River Island and Skechers, which has casual footwear for both men and women. Visit the Craft NI Gallery on Royal Avenue for items made by local arts, including functional objects that can be used every day as well as beautiful one-off decorative pieces as well as pottery, jewellery, textiles, wood and hand-blown glass.

St Georges Market is extending its hours in the run-up to Christmas, giving shoppers more time to pick up unique handmade gifts and the freshest local ingredients. Traders will be open for a full week of extra shopping, from 10am to 3pm on Monday 21, Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 December, and from 8am to 2pm on Christmas Eve. The market is also running a ‘click and collect’ service to support local traders this year. When you buy an item from a seller’s website, Etsy, Facebook page or by phone, you can also organise a time slot for collection, between 11am and 1pm on usual market days of Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Traders will then bring your items direct to the collection point in Verner Street, alongside the market, for you to pick up.

Why not treat your loved one with a day trip to Ards and North Down? Buy vouchers for exciting experiences, like kayaking on Strangford Lough with Mobile Team Adventure or paddleboading in Bangor Harbour with SUP Hub NI. Foodie fans will love a voucher for traditional bread making and gifts from Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen, or buy a bottle of locally distilled gin from Echlinville’s Distillery online shop. North Down Museum’s online store has handmade crafts from local artists, or treat them to a voucher for the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel – when you spend £100 on vouchers the hotel donates £10 to a local food bank!