One million pints to be pulled as city prepares to welcome 800,000 visitors
HEINEKEN HELPS BELFAST GET PUB READY AHEAD OF FLEADH FEVER
As Belfast prepares to host the world’s biggest celebration of Irish traditional music, drinks giant Heineken is helping pubs across the city tune up for what promises to be one of the biggest hospitality events Northern Ireland has ever hosted.
More than 800,000 music lovers are expected to flock to the city for the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann music festival (August 2-9), with Heineken bosses estimating that over one million pints of beer could be enjoyed over the course of the week-long event.
The brewing giant is supporting licensed premises across the city with everything from fresh branding and venue makeovers to spruced-up beer gardens and customer areas, ensuring that they strike the right note when the music comes to town.
“This is gearing up to be one of the busiest weeks that our hospitality industry has ever experienced, and we want to help our trade customers make the most of this landmark moment for Belfast and for Northern Ireland,” said David Greenlees, Senior Brand Manager with Craigavon-based United Wines which distributes Heineken in Northern Ireland.
“The Fleadh isn’t just a fantastic celebration of Irish music and culture – it’s also a massive opportunity as Belfast hosts this huge event for the very first time.
“The streets will be filled with the sound of music and with more than 800,000 visitors expected, we are predicting that over one million points will be sold during the week of the event – which will mean big sales of Heineken across the city.
“We want pubs to look and feel their very best and we hope that our support and investment will help bars put their best pint forward and grab their fair share of the economic dividend that an event of this size will bring.
“The music will flow, the conversations will flow… and we’re fairly confident the beer will flow too,” he added.
Every corner of the city is expected to come alive with traditional music, and the Heineken investment will help publicans prepare for what many are describing as a once-in-a-generation opportunity, creating inviting spaces where visitors can relax, enjoy live music and experience Belfast’s renowned hospitality.
Peita McAlister from the Morning Star, one of the venues collaborating with Heineken said: “The Fleadh is a unique opportunity for Belfast to demonstrate what a welcoming and vibrant city it is, and we’re delighted to partner with Heineken to help create a special atmosphere. Over the next week we look forward to welcoming lots of new faces mixing with our regulars, it’s going to be an amazing week and we can’t wait.”
While no-one can say exactly how many pints will be pulled, Heineken’s prediction of one million certainly isn’t a tall tale – with recent ‘pints per visitor’ averages for the festival ranging between 1.13 pints and 2.5 pints per head (based on the total visitor numbers).
A figure of 1M pints would equate to:
- Almost 143,000 pints every day
- Nearly 6,000 pints every hour
- Around 100 pints every minute
- Almost two pints for every second of the festival atmosphere! (based on trading hours)
By helping venues refresh their appearance and prepare for the influx of visitors, Heineken hopes the investment will help the city to raise the bar – along with plenty of glasses too – and leave a lasting legacy long after the final tune has been played.
“This is an incredible showcase for Belfast and Northern Ireland,” added David Greenlees.
“Visitors will remember the music, but they’ll also remember the welcome they receive in our pubs. We’re proud to play a part in helping the city put on a show worthy of such a historic occasion.”
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026 takes place in Belfast from Sunday, August 2 to Sunday, August 9, 2026.
