New £100million tourist attraction to ‘regenerate city centre’ with rooftop garden
A HUGE new £100million tourist attraction is set to open in a UK capital .
Part of a £1billion regeneration project, Belfast Stories will become a landmark attraction in Northern Ireland‘s capital when it opens in 2030.
First announced back in December 2021, Belfast Stories is set to become a visitor attraction and a cultural hub.
The multi-million pound attraction will tell the story of Belfast through tales from individuals who have lived or visited the city.
A description on its website reads: “Belfast Stories is rooted in a simple idea.
“By gathering the individual stories of the people that have visited or lived in Belfast, we can capture its unique spirit.
“By creating a place to share those stories with each other and visitors, we will tell the stories from the city in rich detail and continue to gather and share the ideas, memories, music, imagery and sounds that shape our collective identity.”
Belfast Stories will be located in the former Bank of Ireland building.
New renders showing what it could look like include a rooftop garden on top of the huge building.
It is likely to have several floors although further details regarding displays and exhibitions have yet to be revealed.
The new attraction is being funded by Belfast Region City Deal programme of investment and will cost £100million to build.
The project is currently in its second stage, Concept Design.
Even though one public consultation was held back in 2022, another is taking place next month on February 23.
When it opens in 2030, Belfast Stories will attract more than 700,000 visitors each year.
The huge new attraction will also create up to 1,200 jobs.
Eimear Henry, the creative and strategic lead at Belfast Stories, said: “This story gathering element is a work in progress that is being influenced and shaped by our ongoing engagement with the people of Belfast.
“The gathering of these stories, or the ‘story engine’ as we call it, is the project’s cornerstone, and our work here has already started.
“The concept is driven by the belief that by telling these authentic stories of the people of Belfast we will tell the story of the city – in the richest possible detail.
“These stories will show the world how much we value our city and our people.”
And Belfast isn’t the only capital in the UK set to get a brand-new museum in the coming years.
The new London Museum is set to open in 2027 has received a huge £50million funding package.
What's it like to visit Belfast?
THE Sun visited Belfast last January, here’s how it went…
I have a confession to make: I have never thought of holidaying in Northern Ireland.
Maybe it’s because I assume more of the same unpredictable weather?
Maybe it’s because it’s in the UK so it feels like more of a staycation?
Maybe it’s because of The Troubles and a lingering feeling that perhaps Brits aren’t welcome?
Well, all that scepticism faded after my 48-hour visit to Belfast, a city brimming with soul, history and excellent nightlife.
And as for The Troubles, well there is one sure-fire way of digging deeper into that — on one of the most memorable tourist attractions Belfast offers, an official Black Taxi Tour.
Visitors can pile into a traditional cab where they’ll drive around all of the areas in the west of the city most impacted by the violent, decades-long conflict between nationalists and loyalists.
The cab drivers are all friendly, fascinating locals with first-hand experience growing up on estates segregated ideologically and literally, thanks to the metal Peace Walls, reaching up to 45ft-tall, that were installed by the British Army.
To this day, those gates are locked every night.
Along with the ever-changing political murals lining the roads, these are powerful visual reminders that this is a city ravaged by division and scarred by battles with the British Army.
But, on whether we Brits are welcome, our cabbie insisted: “It was never about the British people — it was the uniform.”
You can read more about a weekend break in Belfast, here.
Meanwhile, this UK town is home to one of the world’s best car museums.
And this world class UK museum reopened earlier this year.