ICC Belfast has been selected to host the 29th Harm Reduction International Conference, an event expected to attract over 1,000 international delegates to the city. Staged across four days, the conference will generate thousands of hotel bed nights for Belfast and position it on the global stage as a growing centre for progressive policy discussion, research, and public health innovation.

Delivered in partnership with Harm Reduction International and the charity Extern, the event will gather world-leading healthcare professionals, academics, advocates, charities, policymakers, and researchers. Together, they will investigate evidence-based methods designed to lower the legal, social, and health harms linked to drug use and drug policy.

The selection of Belfast builds upon the city's expanding reputation for hosting large-scale global events that provide long-lasting social and economic benefits. The Harm Reduction International Conference was previously hosted in Melbourne, Australia in 2023 and Bogotá, Colombia in 2025.

In addition to the immediate economic gains for local transport providers, hotels, restaurants, and businesses, the event is anticipated to leave an enduring legacy for Northern Ireland. It will bolster ongoing discussions regarding addiction services, public health, healthcare innovation, harm reduction, and homelessness.

The announcement comes at a time of active development in the sector locally; Queen's University Belfast and its partners recently obtained €7 million in cross-border research funding dedicated to mental health and substance use. Furthermore, the Northern Ireland Executive has introduced its Substance Use Strategic Commissioning and Implementation Plan 2024-2028, and Belfast City Council voted unanimously in 2023 to support creating an overdose prevention facility in the city. Extern, a leading charity operating in addiction support and harm reduction across Ireland, is assisting with the local delivery of the conference. As part of the lead-up to the event, Extern has provided specialised harm reduction training to the front-of-house team at ICC Belfast, drawing on more than twenty years of experience working within the addiction and homelessness sectors.

Rob McConnell, Chief Executive, ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall, and Ulster Hall said: "Securing Harm Reduction International 2027 is a hugely significant win for Belfast and Northern Ireland. The conference will bring substantial economic benefits to the city through international visitor spend and hotel occupancy, while also showcasing Belfast as a progressive, globally connected destination for world-class conferences and events.

"Beyond the economic impact, this event presents an important opportunity to create meaningful social legacy through international collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and public health innovation. We are proud to welcome delegates from across the world to Belfast next year."

Lucy O'Hare, Director, Harm Reduction International Conference said: "We are delighted to bring the Harm Reduction International Conference to Belfast in 2027. The conference will create opportunities for collaboration between international experts and local organisations, while also delivering meaningful economic impact through international tourism and visitor spend across the city."

Iain Cameron, Project Manager, Extern added: "Extern is proud to support the delivery of this important conference in Belfast – a city where we have worked alongside people and communities since the 1970s, often in the most challenging circumstances. Our harm reduction approach is shaped by a changing frontline reality: the significant impact of drug use and the complex challenges people face, including homelessness, trauma, mental health, and deep-rooted inequality.

"For Extern, harm reduction means meeting people where they are, treating them with dignity, and walking alongside them without judgment.

"As part of the team helping to make this conference a reality, Extern sees it as a timely opportunity to learn from international innovation and evidence, and to draw on successful interventions from across the world to make a difference here in Northern Ireland. It will deepen understanding, strengthen collaboration, and contribute to long-term positive outcomes for some of the most vulnerable in Belfast and the wider community."