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theatre · Thursday 16 July 2026 · Various 
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Grand Opera House Summer Youth Production 2026
At Grand Opera House · Great Victoria Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim
At Grand Opera House · Great Victoria Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim
More than 120 young performers aged 10 to 18 take over one of Ireland’s most celebrated stages this July for the Grand Opera House Summer Youth Production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Selected from over 500 who turned up to audition, this cast of Belfast young people stages the beloved family musical with a full live orchestra, professional costumes, and the complete technical support of the Grand Opera House team behind them. It is a proper night at the theatre - and the knowledge that everyone on stage is a teenager from Northern Ireland gives it a charge that a touring professional production simply cannot match. Good for families with children aged 5 and up, and for anyone who likes seeing local young talent do something genuinely impressive.
The story follows eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, his two children Jeremy and Jemima, the wonderfully named Truly Scrumptious, and the mad-capped adventures of the magical flying car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang itself - drawn from Ian Fleming’s children’s book and the much-loved 1968 film. The Sherman Brothers songs (“Truly Scrumptious”, “Hushabye Mountain”, “Me Ol’ Bamboo”) are the kind that lodge in your head for days.
What sets this production apart is the scale. Over 500 young people registered to audition; 120 were cast. They rehearse intensively across two weeks on the Grand Opera House stage before the run opens, working alongside a professional creative team and the theatre’s technical department. Previous participants have called it “one of the most magical experiences of my life.” The running time is just under three hours including an interval, so factor that in if you are bringing younger children.
There are five performances across three days: Thursday 16 July at 7pm, Friday 17 July at 1pm and 7pm, and Saturday 18 July at 1pm and 7pm. Matinees are a good option for families with early bedtimes.
The Grand Opera House sits on Great Victoria Street in Belfast city centre, directly beside the Europa Bus Centre - which makes it one of the easiest venues in the city to reach by public transport. Goldline coaches connect Belfast to Dublin, Dundalk, Derry, and most major towns across the island, and Europa is the terminus. Belfast Great Victoria Street train station (Lanyon Place is the main hub a short walk away) puts the venue within easy reach from Lisburn, Portadown, and Bangor.
If you are driving in, Belfast city centre has several multi-storey car parks within a five-minute walk - Grosvenor Road, Castle Court, and the Victoria Square car park are all regularly used by theatregoers. Street parking near the venue is limited on evenings. The Glider rapid transit route along the Falls and Newtownards Roads also stops close by for those coming from east or west Belfast.
Great Victoria Street is a short walk from the Cathedral Quarter, the Botanic Gardens, and the city centre’s main shopping streets - plenty to fill an afternoon before a matinee or evening show. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to Grand Opera House in Belfast? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Belfast area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.