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Big stores throughout Belfast will be permitted to open at 11:00 BST on August 2nd and 9th.

The two Sundays occur while the city is hosting the all-Ireland music and dance festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

The proposal received approval from Belfast City Council despite resistance from the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party), Traditional Unionist Voice, and People Before Profit.

Some employees and local businesses have expressed worries regarding extended Sunday shopping times.

The political parties Sinn Féin, the SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party), and the Green Party supported the plan to increase operating hours on two Sundays.

The Alliance Party sought extended hours every Sunday throughout the summer, but they accepted the suggestion of two weekends in August.

Sinn Féin’s Ciaran Beattie referred to it as a “compromise” strategy.

Dean McCullough from the DUP expressed criticism, stating that additional Sunday shopping hours would negatively impact employees, families, and those attending church.

A store is considered large if it has a floor area exceeding 280 square meters, which is just a bit larger than a tennis court.

In the heart of the city, retailers such as Boots, Primark, and Marks & Spencer will be allowed to start their operations earlier on the first two Sundays of August.

Stores located farther from the city center would also be permitted to open at 11:00 BST.

At present, bigger stores are allowed to operate between 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM BST on Sundays.

The nationwide festival is anticipated to draw over 700,000 guests to Belfast in the first week of August.

Belfast City Council conducted aeight-week public consultationon Sunday, the opening hours were earlier this year.

The findings indicated that a significant majority in Belfast supported extending the operating hours – 82% in favor versus 16%, with 2% remaining neutral.

However, retail employees were divided, with just a slight majority of 48% in favor, compared to 47%.

Over the last ten years, the hours for Sunday retail operations have been a topic of discussion.numerous occasions at City Hall.

In 2017, a committee of the council decided by a vote of 12 to 3 to reject extended opening hours.

• Belfast hopes to gain from two years of the world’s biggest Irish music festival
• Rising costs of lodging during Fleadh are “extremely disappointing”
• Belfast will serve as the venue for the All-Ireland Fleadh for the second consecutive year in 2027.