Sephora opened five stores in 2025 and is now expanding into new territory
Speculation has been growing since a hoarding sign with Sephora’s distinctive black and white stripe branding was erected(Image: )
Beauty retailer Sephora UK has announced it will open its first store on the island of Ireland next month. Speculation has been growing since a hoarding sign with Sephora’s distinctive black and white stripe branding was erected in the Victoria Square shopping complex in Belfast last year.
On Tuesday, Sephora UK announced the new store will open on February 12, teasing an “iconic moment”. It will be the retailer’s 13th store in the UK, and the first on the island of Ireland.
It has described creating a 2,550-square foot “beauty playground in the heart of Belfast’s main shopping district”. The store will also bring a number of internet viral brands which are exclusively available in Sephora to the island of Ireland for the first time.
These include Hailey Bieber’s rhode and Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs, as well as Makeup By Mario, Merit Beauty, INNBeauty Project, and Tower 28. The shelves will also feature brands such as Tatcha, Glossier, Glow Recipe, Rare Beauty, Sol De Janeiro and Kosas.
Sephora UK opened five new UK stores in 2025 at Liverpool One, Sheffield Meadowhall, Manchester Arndale, Cardiff St David’s and Oxford Westgate. It is aiming to have 20 store locations open in the UK by the end of 2026, with the next location, Cabot Circus in Bristol, to open this spring.
Sephora UK has hinted a grand opening, pointing to its openings since its first store in the UK in 2023 having become “iconic moments rooted in the cultural zeitgeist”. They have said it will be “filled with entertainment from local and emerging talents, curated queue experiences, and the tastiest delicacies from favourite local culinary hot spots”, adding: “all of which will be a part of the ‘pure beaut’ grand opening when Sephora UK opens its doors in Belfast”.
It is also to include the potential of on-the-spot prizes, with details to follow on that and the opening in general on the @sephoraUK account on Instagram. Sarah Boyd, managing director of Sephora UK, said the company is excited to finally reveal the date for its first opening for 2026 in Belfast.
“This opening will mark another first for Sephora UK – our first store in Northern Ireland, located at Belfast’s Victoria Square,” she said.
“We’re truly committed to living up to our name of Sephora UK by bringing our beauty playgrounds to all corners of the nation. Belfast is a city filled with important history, areas of outstanding natural beauty and we cannot wait to become a part of the local community.”
Julie King, senior asset manager, Commerz Real added: “The arrival of such a significant global beauty powerhouse is a milestone moment for Victoria Square. It is a powerful endorsement of the strength and appeal of Victoria Square as the city’s number one retail destination. Securing Sephora UK underscores our commitment to meeting evolving consumer demand for premium, experiential retail experiences.
“The brand’s arrival also affirms Belfast’s role as a major retail hotspot, both on the island of Ireland and the UK.”
