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theatre · Tuesday 28 July 2026 · Various 
Waitress the Musical - Grand Opera House Belfast
At Grand Opera House · Great Victoria Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim
At Grand Opera House · Great Victoria Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim
One of the most warmly received musicals of recent years, Waitress arrives in Belfast for a five-night run at the Grand Opera House this summer, with Carrie Hope Fletcher in the lead role. Based on the 2007 Adrienne Shelly film and set to an original score by singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, it follows Jenna, a gifted pie-maker stuck in a difficult marriage who finds the courage to change her life. The tone is funny, bittersweet, and genuinely moving - the kind of show that draws in people who do not usually count themselves musical theatre fans, and sends them out humming.
The production is directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus and has been touring the UK and Ireland throughout 2026. Carrie Hope Fletcher plays Jenna alongside Sandra Marvin as her sharp-tongued colleague Becky, Evelyn Hoskins as the romantically hopeful Dawn, Dan Partridge as Dr Pomatter, and Les Dennis as the diner regular Old Joe. The running time is 2 hours 20 minutes including an interval.
Sara Bareilles’s songs - among them “She Used to Be Mine” and “What’s Inside” - are character-driven and rooted in folk-pop rather than the big Broadway belt, which gives the show an intimate feel even in a large venue. There is strong language, some domestic abuse themes, and sexual innuendo; the Grand Opera House recommends it for audiences aged 13 and over.
The signed performance is Thursday 30 July at 7:30pm.
The Grand Opera House sits on Great Victoria Street right in the centre of Belfast, next door to the Europa Hotel and directly beside the Europa Bus Centre. Great Victoria Street train station is a two-minute walk. Translink runs regular bus and rail services from Dublin, Derry, and across Northern Ireland into the city centre. If you are driving, there is multi-storey car parking on Grosvenor Road and at the Victoria Square car park a short walk away. Belfast city centre is compact enough that most visitors walk between the venue and anywhere they are staying.
The Crown Liquor Saloon, a Victorian gin palace opposite the opera house, is worth a visit before or after the show. The Cathedral Quarter, Titanic Belfast, and the Botanic Gardens are all within easy reach for anyone making a day of it. 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.