Date: Sunday 28th June 2026
Time: Meet at 10:00 AM
Zoo open until 6:00 PM
Location: Belfast Zoo

Join us for Family Fun Day at Belfast Zoo, where nature, adventure, and community come together!  This special meet-up is open to:

• Children with alopecia and their families

• Adults with alopecia and their families

Explore the zoo, meet incredible animals from around the world, and connect with others in the alopecia community.

As part of our visit to Belfast Zoo, please be aware that the zoo is set on the side of Cave Hill, so some paths include steep gradients. The zoo map highlights the steeper areas to help you plan your route. A one-way system is currently in place around the site.

We recommend wearing comfortable, flat footwear and bringing clothing suitable for wet weather and suncream and hats in case of sun, as most of the zoo is outdoors. There are shelters and indoor animal houses located throughout the site if you need to take cover.

During our visit, there will be plenty of opportunities to see a wide range of animals, both outdoors and inside their enclosures, including farm animals, reptiles and amphibians, spider monkeys, Moloch gibbons, giraffes, chimpanzees, western lowland gorillas, penguins and California sea lions.

Event Schedule

• 10:00 AM – Group meet-up at the entrance

• 10:15 AM – 12:00 PM - Explore the zoo at your own pace or with the group

• 12:00 PM – Lunch break. Please bring your own lunch or enjoy food available at the zoo café. (Please note: lunch is not included in your ticket.)

• 1:00 PM - Continue to explore the Zoo. The Zoo closes at 6 PM, however the event may come to natural conclusion before this time. Attendees are free to leave whenever suits them and are welcome to stay until closing time. 

Ticket Information

Tickets for families with a child/children with alopecia from the UK:

Tickets for families with an adult with alopecia OR child with alopecia from outside of the UK:

Other ticket types: 

We are able to provide free & subsidised tickets for children with alopecia and their families from the UK, thanks to funding from Access Foundation.

Registration closes Friday 19th of June at 9:00 AM.

FAQs

How do I get there?
Belfast Zoo is accessible by car and public transport. Find out more here.

Can I come on my own as an adult with alopecia?
We encourage bringing family, friends or partners to enjoy this friendly, community event. If you'd prefer to attend solo, please contact us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to chat with you.

Do I have to stay with the group the whole time?
Nope! Feel free to explore at your own pace. But we recommend sticking with the group to meet others and make new connections.

Important Information

• All ticket bookings that include a free ticket for a child with alopecia must also include at least one parent /guardian. The child must be a resident of the UK.

• All children (aged 16 and under) must be accompanied by someone aged 18 or older.

• Children attending remain the responsibility of parents/ guardians and must be under their supervision at all times.

• Please let us know during booking if anyone in your group has any access needs.

• Refunds will only be made if Alopecia UK is notified of the cancellation before 9.00am on Friday 19th of June 2026. Any ticket cancellations after this time are non-refundable.

• In the unlikely event that Alopecia UK needs to cancel, you’ll be notified at least 48 hours in advance and refunded accordingly.

• We may capture some photos at this event, as part of your booking you will be asked for your consent. Please read our photo policy regarding how we will use the photos here. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact [email protected]

Who will be there from Alopecia UK?

Barbara
Hi there, I’m Barbara and recently I was diagnosed with Alopecia. First of all I felt ok with it, a little patch here and there. I thought I can manage this, but i quickly lost all of my hair everywhere. On being diagnosed I searched for some support locally that I could go and have face to face conversation about people experiences, how they felt, how they managed the life changing effect this was having. 

I am the type of person who celebrates peoples differences but when it came to me being different I found it a lot harder than I thought! I always knew I wanted to help other people on this journey as it can be lonely, daunting and leave you feeling very vulnerable to the outside world.

I would love to get together for a chat about your experiences and try help support each other! 

Angela
Hi all, I have had alopecia from around 13 yrs of age with small patches developing, usually behind the ears, which would always grow back again. Then in 2020, in the space of about 6 months I lost all my hair, from everywhere. It was initially daunting but being quite a pragmatist I also accepted it relatively quickly and became excited by what the world of wigs had to offer. This is possibly due to the fact that my own hair was never the best and I could never style it to save my life, so to have something I can pop on and feel good in was great. I now change wigs like my shoes and share details of my diagnosis with anyone interested in listening. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t receive a compliment about my hair…. Which never happened pre-wigs. I look forward to meeting you all in a safe space where we can share, listen and support each other where we can.

Meg
Hiya, I’m Meg. I am really looking forward to meeting you all! I have been volunteering with Alopecia UK for a little while, I am typically found volunteering at events in Scotland, but I am looking forward to joining you for the event in Northern Ireland. I developed alopecia areata when I was 8-years-old and it developed into Alopecia Universalis when I was in my early twenties. I love swimming, and arty things.

Questions?

Reach out to us anytime at [email protected]