Summer: Driven by Bus | Global Northern Ireland

Longer days, better weather, major events and increased travel all make summer a high-movement season. As audiences spend more time out of home, bus advertising gives brands a powerful way to stay visible through the moments that matter most.

why summer is driven by bus?

Summer isn’t a screen-led season – it’s a movement-led one. And bus advertising is the medium that moves with it.

Bus IS the summer solution!

Summer is a season of movement

People spend more time out of home - travelling, socialising and attending events. Bus advertising moves with them, delivering reach where audiences actually are.

Bus thrives when footfall and travel increase

More journeys means more eyes on ads. Every trip to a festival, bar, restaurant, attraction or event becomes an opportunity for brand visibility.

Bus captures the full summer journey, not just the moment

From pre-event travel to city centre movement, to post-event socialising, bus advertising keeps brands present before, during and after key cultural moments.

Bus influences spontaneous summer spending

Summer drives impulse behaviour (eating out, meet-ups, shopping, nights out). Bus reaches people in real time as decisions are being made.

Bus outperforms when other media softens

As TV viewing declines and screen time fragments, bus benefits from increased real-world exposure and higher levels of public movement.

Bus connects brands to concentrated, high-value audiences at scale

Summer events, tourism peaks, and city centre activity create dense clusters of engaged audiences, and bus advertising delivers repeated, high-frequency exposure across those exact routes and hotspots.

forecast: in summer audiences head outside and brands should too!

Summer changes audience behaviour. People spend more time outdoors, travel more for leisure and events, socialise more often and make more spontaneous spending decisions. For brands, that means more opportunities to be seen in the real world.

Sunshine ☀️= increased footfall | Festivals 🎪= increased movement |

Tourism 🚍= increased audience reach

When audiences are moving more, bus advertising works harder.

festivals, tourism and city events increase audience movement.

Summer is shaped by cultural moments that bring people into towns, cities and event spaces in greater numbers. From live music and seasonal tourism to landmark events, these moments create high-footfall environments and valuable opportunities for brands to show up.

Bus advertising is uniquely positioned to reach audiences as they travel to, through and around these moments.

live events

Belfast’s live events programme is expected to attract an estimated 250,000–350,000 attendees through Belsonic, Emerge and the Custom House Square concert series.

the fleadh

The Fleadh is expected to attract 700,000+ spectators and visitors, bringing a significant audience into Belfast.

tourism

In 2025 there were 3.4m overnight trips to NI from non-domestic visitors and 310,000 cruise ship passengers with July and August traditionally the peak period, helping to increase audience reach across the summer season.

summer tv dip

As TV viewing softens, bus stays visible in the real world.

The “summer TV dip” is a well-established seasonal trend, as warmer weather and better outdoor conditions pull audiences away from screens. While traditional viewing declines, bus advertising benefits from increased public movement and more time spent out of home.

TV viewing is lowest in Summer, with average total viewing falling to 171 minutes per day, versus 197 minutes in Winter – a drop of 26 minutes daily (‑13%).
The traditional broadcast TV viewing Summer dip is slightly greater, averaging 129 minutes per day versus 152 minutes in Winter – down 22 minutes daily (‑15%).

Summer isn’t just a change in season – it’s a change in audience behaviour.

key opportunities for summer 2026

live music festivals and gigs

Northern Ireland’s festival season creates a series of audience hotspots from June through September.

Festival-goers do not just appear at venues, they travel from across Northern Ireland, move between hotels, bars and venues, and spend time in city centres before and after events. Bus advertising helps brands stay visible throughout that full journey.

Major events also drive valuable secondary spend across food and drink, shopping, accommodation, transport and entertainment, creating more opportunities for brands to connect.

Belsonic (12 Jun – 1 Jul 2026 / Cycle: 12-14)
Stendhal Festival (2–4 Jul 2026 / Cycle: 14)
Belfast Trad Fest (26 Jul – 2 Aug 2026 / Cycle: 16)
CHsq Belfast (8 Aug – 1 Sep 2026 / Cycle: 10-18)
Emerge (29–30 Aug 2026 / Cycle: 18)

world cup 2026

The World Cup will be a major cultural and commercial moment this summer.

Even without Northern Ireland participating, the scale of the tournament means it will still generate strong interest, high viewership and a lasting presence in daily conversation (64% of people in NI will follow the 2026 World Cup). With later kick-offs likely to shift attention towards social viewing occasions, community screenings and post-match discussion, brands have an opportunity to show up beyond the broadcast itself.

World Cup 2026: 11^th Jun 2026 to 19^th Jul 2026 (Cycles 13 to 15)

Bus advertising helps brands stay visible where people gather, travel, shop and socialise throughout the tournament.

more to life than football

The World Cup creates opportunity beyond sport.

Not everyone will be fully engaged with football. Many audiences will still be looking for alternative ways to spend their time – from shopping and dining out to socialising and day trips. That creates space for brands to connect with people who are aware of the tournament, but whose summer plans sit outside it.

Key dates: 11^th Jun 2026 to 19^th Jul 2026 (Cycles 13 to 15)

Bus advertising helps brands stay relevant to both football audiences and those looking for something else this summer.

belfast pride

Belfast Pride is one of the city’s most vibrant and high-profile summer moments, bringing energy, visibility and strong audience presence into the heart of the city across 10 days of events.

Marking its 35th anniversary in 2026, Belfast Pride will feature 150 events across the festival period, building towards the city centre parade on Saturday 25 July. With 85,000 attending in 2025, it continues to be one of the biggest parade events in Belfast.

For brands, Belfast Pride offers the opportunity to show up during a major cultural moment that drives movement, footfall and social activity across the city.

Key dates: 17^th to 26^th Jul 2026 (Cycle 13)

Bus advertising helps brands stay visible during sustained movement over multiple days, Belfast Pride creates a timely summer opportunity for brands to align with one of Belfast’s best-known cultural events.

fleadh comes to belfast

The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is one of the biggest cultural moments of the summer and a major opportunity for brands in Belfast with 72% of people thinking the Fleadh will have a positive impact on Belfast.

It brings together festival-goers, families, tourists, students and visitors from across Ireland and beyond. Through Global’s partnership with Translink, bus advertising offers strong visibility across Belfast’s high-frequency Metro corridors, helping brands connect with audiences moving through the city during as they use shuttle services from dedicated pick up points in the City Centre.

Key dates: 2nd to 9th Aug (Cycle 16)

Let’s make summer work harder

If you’re looking for an effective summer solution, bus advertising offers a timely way to connect with audiences across Belfast and beyond during the season’s biggest moments.

contact your account manager

Sources: BARB, broadcast TV companies and SVOD/AVOD Average Daily Mins, 2025, work.shop.play. 2025 & 2026, NISRA, Belfast Harbour, Belfast City Council)

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