Translink's partnership with Belfast's internationally recognised Hit the North Street Art Festival, delivered by Seedhead Arts, is now entering its third year, bringing world-class street art into the heart of Northern Ireland's public transport network.
From Laganside Bus Station to Lanyon Place Station, the collaboration is transforming everyday transport spaces into vibrant public artworks, celebrating Belfast's creativity, its communities and the connections that bring people together.
The partnership is an expression of Translink's Better.Connected strategy, reflecting our commitment to enhancing the customer experience and creating stations that are more than places to catch a bus or train. They are welcoming, distinctive spaces that people enjoy visiting, spending time in and taking pride in.
By working with internationally acclaimed and homegrown artists, Translink is also supporting Belfast's thriving creative sector and making exceptional public art accessible to thousands of passengers and visitors as part of their everyday journeys.
2025: Sammy the Seal – Laganside Bus Station
Our partnership began in 2025 with a colourful mural by Belfast street artist HMC (Helen McConstance) at Laganside Bus Station.
Affectionately known as Sammy the Seal, the artwork celebrates the wildlife of the River Lagan and the relationship between Belfast, its waterways and the people who travel through the city.
The playful mural brings colour and character to the station environment, creating a memorable connection between public transport, the natural world and Belfast's local identity.
Created in partnership with Hit the North and Seedhead Arts, Sammy the Seal demonstrates how art can transform an everyday transport setting into something distinctive, engaging and enjoyable for passengers and the wider community.
2026: A Different Perspective on Connection – Lanyon Place Station
Building on the success of Laganside, Translink's partnership with Hit the North moved to Lanyon Place Station in 2026, welcoming internationally acclaimed German street artist Case Maclaim.
Renowned for his extraordinary photorealistic street art, Case created a striking large-scale mural featuring an upside-down face – an artwork that invites people to stop, look again and see the world from a different perspective.
The unusual composition challenges the familiar, encouraging us to consider how we connect with ourselves, with those around us and with people whose experiences and perspectives may be different from our own.
By turning something as recognisable as a human face upside down, the artwork reminds us that connection often begins when we look beyond what we know, embrace difference and see the world through someone else's eyes.
For Translink, the mural captures the spirit of Better.Connected – recognising that journeys are about more than moving between destinations. They bring us into contact with different people, places, ideas and experiences, helping us better understand both ourselves and the world around us.
Prominently positioned at Lanyon Place Station, the mural creates a powerful new visual landmark, bringing internationally celebrated street art into an everyday public space and inviting passengers to experience something unexpected.
Sometimes, all it takes to feel more connected is to see things differently.
2027: The Next Chapter
The partnership continues in May 2027, when Translink and Hit the North will bring another major street art commission to Lanyon Place Station as part of the annual festival.
This next artwork will build on the success of the previous commissions, adding to a growing collection of original street art that celebrates connection, creativity and Belfast's evolving identity.
The project forms part of a longer-term commitment to working with Hit the North and Seedhead Arts, bringing new artistic perspectives to Translink's network and creating opportunities for passengers to experience exceptional public art in unexpected places.
Better Connected Through Art
For Translink, the partnership is about much more than transforming walls.
It is about making public transport spaces places people love spending time in, supporting local and international creative talent and contributing to Belfast's growing reputation as a vibrant cultural destination.
Public art helps create a sense of place, connecting stations to their surrounding communities while making everyday journeys more colourful, welcoming and memorable.
Through our ongoing partnership with Hit the North, Translink is demonstrating how investment in public transport can deliver wider cultural and community benefits, making arts and creativity part of everyday life.
From a seal on the banks of the Lagan to internationally acclaimed street art at Lanyon Place, the partnership is helping to create a better-connected Belfast – one artwork, one station and one journey at a time.