WellFest, Ireland and Europe’s largest outdoor fitness and wellness festival, is proud to announce its expansion to Northern Ireland in 2026, marking a major milestone as the festival celebrates its 10-year anniversary. For the first time ever, Belfast will host the brand-new weekend festival in Ormeau Park, bringing the full WellFest experience to Northern Irish audiences. This exciting expansion joins the flagship two-day Dublin event at IMMA, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, making 2026 a landmark year for the festival’s growing community. Tickets for WellFest Northern Ireland go on pre-sale Wednesday, November 26th, available at WellFestNI.com. General release starts Monday December 1st.

Newry native and celebrated fitness influencer Maeve Madden is revealed as the first official headliner for WellFest’s inaugural Belfast festival, taking place at Ormeau Park on Saturday September 12th and Sunday September 13th, 2026. As the founder of the empowering wellness movement Queens Don’t Quit, Maeve will lead fans in her unmissable festival classes and high-energy workouts. Her announcement sets the tone for an inspiring and inclusive weekend of wellness, with the first wave of headliners for the Northern Irish festival to be announced at the end of this month.

WellFest Belfast

The Northern Ireland edition of WellFest will follow the festival’s annual Dublin event at IMMA, Royal Hospital Kilmainham on May 9th and 10th 2026. Co-founder of WellFest, Anthony Kelly comments, “Together, WellFest’s two-city festivals shape a unique summer experience, with Dublin kicking things off in May and Belfast ending it on a high in September. Planning and programming for WellFest 2026 is already in full swing, as we prepare two unforgettable weekends that will bookend next summer’s festival season.”

Anthony Kelly adds, “Ten years ago, we set out to create a festival that celebrated fitness and wellness in all its forms; an inclusive event where friends, families, fitness enthusiasts and first-time festival-goers alike could take part, and connect through movement and conversation. Our expansion into Northern Ireland is more than a milestone; it’s a reflection of the incredible growth of the wellness movement across the island of Ireland and beyond. We’re seeing a powerful shift in how people prioritise their wellbeing and WellFest’s expansion to Belfast reflects this cultural momentum, meeting the growing appetite for inclusive and energising wellness experiences for all ages.”

In addition to Maeve Madden, the first wave of headliners for the Northern Ireland festival line-up will be announced later this month and promises to be a powerful mix of international talent, homegrown experts, and fresh voices who will lead hundreds of fitness classes, wellness talks, and family-friendly activities.

The first wave of talent for the Dublin 2026 festival was unveiled today, featuring an exciting mix of talent including Maeve Madden, two-time Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington, podcaster and mental health advocate BlindBoy, and endurance athlete and wellness entrepreneur Spencer Matthews, with many more to be announced.

From 1,500 attendees at its first one-day event in 2015, WellFest has grown into a weekend-long celebration welcoming over 12,000 people to Dublin each year, and now expanding to its second capital city of Belfast in 2026. Over the past decade, the festival has welcomed some of the most inspiring international and Irish voices in health and wellness including Joe Wicks MBE, Davina McCall, Katie Piper, Roz Purcell, Ella Mills, Maeve Madden, Fearne Cotton, Gerry and Miriam Hussey, Karl Henry, Dr. Hazel Wallace, The Happy Pear, Jenny Keane and many more. These standout wellness champions and fitness experts are amongst hundreds that have helped shape WellFest into Europe’s largest festival of its kind.