Every July, the City of Belfast International Rose Garden fills with colour — over 20,000 roses in peak bloom — and for one free weekend a family fair rolls out across the parkland with rides, music and stalls.
What it is — Rose Week is the roses at their best: the world-famous International Rose Garden at Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park in south Belfast, a City of Rose Trials site, at full bloom through July. At the centre of it is the free Summer Rose Fair — a family fun weekend run by Belfast City Council.
For families — the Rose Fair is a proper day out for children: fairground rides, live music and dancing, musical theatre, a craft fair and food stalls, food demonstrations and free children's activities, all on the open parkland lawns. Little ones can run, big ones can browse.
Where — Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park, Upper Malone Road, Belfast BT17 9LA — 128 acres of meadow, woodland and formal gardens on the south-west edge of the city, with a children's playground, a coffee shop and a car park.
Cost — the fair and the garden are free. You can wander the rose beds any day through July at no cost; the fair weekend simply adds the rides, stalls and stage without a ticket in sight.
The fair is one weekend; the roses bloom for weeks. If you miss the fair, the garden is still glorious right through July — so come back on a quiet weekday for the roses even if the fair weekend doesn't suit.
When to plan — the Rose Fair usually lands in early July (recent years have run the first weekend of the month, roughly noon to 5pm). Dates are confirmed by Belfast City Council each spring — pencil in early July and check belfastcity.gov.uk.
What's on
From rose beds to fairground rides
There are two days out rolled into one: the quiet joy of the rose garden, and the busy, joyful fair. Here's the shape of what a family can enjoy.
🌹The rose gardenOver 20,000 roses in themed beds and trials, in peak bloom all July — a gentle, flat, pushchair-friendly wander.
🎡Fairground ridesRides and a rodeo bull on the fair weekend — the bit the kids will ask for first, all out on the open lawn.
🎶Live music & dancingBands, musical theatre and dance on the stage across the weekend — a soundtrack to picnic to.
🛍️Craft & food stallsA craft fair on Saturday and Sunday plus food stalls and cookery demonstrations — browse, taste and graze.
🎨Children's activitiesFree drop-in activities for little ones, plus a proper playground in the park for a run-around anytime.
🧺Picnic in the park128 acres of meadow, woodland and lawn with picnic tables and a barbecue area — bring a rug and stay all afternoon.
Plan your visit
How to do Rose Week with kids
You've got two happy options. For the full carnival, come on the fair weekend — arrive near the noon opening to catch the rides and stalls before the busiest part of the afternoon, bring a picnic rug, and let the little ones burn energy on the playground between the fairground and the stage. For a calm rose wander, pick any weekday in July — the garden is quieter, the roses are just as glorious, and there's easy flat paths for pushchairs and space for a slow stroll. The park has a car park and a coffee shop, so you can make a morning or a whole afternoon of it. Bring sun cream and water on a warm day — the rose garden is open and there's not a lot of shade right by the beds.
The fair dates are confirmed each spring.
The Summer Rose Fair usually runs a weekend in early July (recent years opened the first Friday to Sunday, around noon to 5pm). Belfast City Council announces the exact dates in spring — check belfastcity.gov.uk before you set off, and remember the roses themselves are worth a trip all month.
Good to know
Everything before you go
When
The roses are in peak bloom through July. The free Summer Rose Fair is one weekend in early July — Belfast City Council confirms the dates each spring.
Where
Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park, Upper Malone Road, Belfast BT17 9LA — on the south-west edge of the city.
The rose garden
The City of Belfast International Rose Garden holds over 20,000 roses and is a City of Rose Trials site, so you'll see new varieties being judged alongside old favourites.
Cost
Free. The garden is free to visit any day, and the Rose Fair weekend is free too — no ticket needed.
Best for families
The fair weekend for rides, stalls and the stage; a quiet weekday for the roses. There's a children's playground in the park all year.
Facilities
Car park, coffee shop (the Stables), picnic tables, a barbecue area and marked walking trails through 128 acres of parkland.
Getting there
Off the Upper Malone Road in south Belfast, with a car park at the park. Buses serve the Malone corridor; check Translink for the nearest stop.
Accessibility
The formal rose garden is flat and pushchair-friendly. Wider trails through the meadow and woodland are gentle but unsurfaced in places.
Questions
Rose Week & the Rose Fair, answered
When is the Belfast Rose Fair 2027?
The Summer Rose Fair usually runs a weekend in early July, roughly noon to 5pm each day. Belfast City Council confirms the exact dates in spring — check belfastcity.gov.uk. The roses themselves are in peak bloom right through July.
Is it free?
Yes — both the rose garden and the Rose Fair are free. You can wander the beds any day in July at no cost, and the fair weekend adds the rides, stalls and stage without a ticket.
Is it good for children?
Very. The fair weekend has fairground rides, a rodeo bull, live music and dancing, free children's activities and food stalls, plus a playground in the park. On quieter days there's space to run and easy paths for pushchairs.
Where is the rose garden?
In Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park, Upper Malone Road, Belfast BT17 9LA — on the south-west edge of the city. The City of Belfast International Rose Garden holds over 20,000 roses.
Can I still see the roses if I miss the fair?
Yes — that's the lovely thing. The fair is only one weekend, but the roses bloom for weeks. Any quiet weekday in July gives you the full garden with far fewer people.
Is there parking and a coffee shop?
Yes. The park has a car park and a coffee shop (the Stables), plus picnic tables, a barbecue area and marked walking trails. The fair weekend gets busy, so arrive early for a space.
Getting there
Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park sits off the Upper Malone Road on the south-west edge of Belfast (BT17 9LA), with its own car park and a coffee shop. Buses serve the Malone corridor — check Translink for the nearest stop. On the fair weekend it fills up, so come early for a parking space.
Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park was gifted to the people of Belfast and today spreads over 128 acres of meadow, woodland and formal gardens on the Upper Malone Road. Its jewel is the City of Belfast International Rose Garden, home to more than 20,000 roses and one of the world's respected rose trial grounds — a place where new varieties from breeders around the world are planted, grown and judged. For a few glorious weeks each July, all of that colour opens at once, and the whole garden becomes a sea of pink, red, gold and white.
Belfast City Council marks it with the free Summer Rose Fair — a family weekend of fairground rides, live music, dancing, craft and food stalls and children's activities, right out on the parkland lawns. It's one of those easy, generous days out: no ticket, no fuss, just the kids on the rides, a picnic on the grass and the finest roses in Northern Ireland at your shoulder. Come for the fair weekend, or slip in on a quiet weekday for the roses alone — either way, go and enjoy it while it's blooming.