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Indoor leisure group We Are Vertigo closes Belfast operation after 12 years blaming 'prohibitive, rising costs'

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Thursday, October 2nd 2025 at 9:29 GMT by The Irish News
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Indoor‑Leisure Group “We Are Vertigo” Shuts Its Belfast Outlet After 12 Years, Citing “Prohibitive Rising Costs”

A 12‑year run of one of Belfast’s most popular indoor adventure venues has come to an end. “We Are Vertigo,” a chain of indoor leisure parks that offers trampolines, climbing walls, obstacle courses, laser‑tag and a range of family‑friendly attractions, announced that its Belfast location will close its doors at the end of this month. The decision, the company says, is driven by “prohibitive” rising operating costs, a trend that has left the business unable to sustain the financial pressure it faces in the capital.

A Quick History of the Belfast Venue

We Are Vertigo opened in 2008 in the bustling area of Belfast’s City Centre, and over the next decade it grew into a favourite holiday and corporate‑team‑building venue for locals and visitors alike. Its 20‑year‑old facility combined a 1,000‑square‑meter indoor trampoline park with a climbing wall, a laser‑tag arena, a 3‑D adventure game, a mini‑golf course and a dedicated party‑room. The park was a staple of the city’s family‑entertainment scene, hosting birthday parties, school visits and local charity events.

In addition to its core indoor activities, Vertigo’s Belfast branch also ran an indoor sports training centre, offering coaching for basketball, football, and volleyball. The venue was a local economic driver, employing over 30 staff members—most of whom were part‑time teenagers or recent graduates—providing job training and flexible schedules.

The Factors Driving the Closure

The company’s statement, posted on its website and shared by local news outlets, lists a handful of cost pressures that have turned the Belfast operation into a financial liability:

1. Escalating Rent – The lease on the City Centre property is reportedly the most expensive of Vertigo’s seven UK sites, with a 15‑percent rent increase announced in 2023. The company noted that, compared with other branches, the Belfast lease consumes a disproportionate share of operating revenue.

2. Utility Costs – Rising energy prices, a direct consequence of the post‑pandemic boom in consumer and commercial consumption, have pushed electricity bills to new highs. In addition, the park’s heating and ventilation systems—necessary for safe indoor play—run continuously.

3. Staff Wages and Turnover – Minimum wage hikes in 2023 and an increase in turnover among part‑time staff have made labor costs a major concern. The company claims that the cost of recruiting and training replacement staff, especially during the busy summer months, erodes profitability.

4. Insurance and Liability Premiums – With indoor sporting activities, insurance costs rise annually. The park’s insurance premium increased by roughly 20 % last year, a figure that the company said made it difficult to maintain the current pricing structure for customers.

5. Economic Climate and Inflation – A broader macro‑economic slowdown, higher inflation rates and increased interest costs have compounded the above expenses. Vertigo’s CEO, James McKenna, said: “We have tried to pass on some of these costs to customers, but there is a limit to how much we can raise ticket prices without risking our reputation and long‑term brand loyalty.”

Company’s Statement and Future Plans

"We are sad to announce that the Belfast venue will close at the end of this month," said James McKenna in a statement posted on Vertigo’s Facebook page. He added, "This decision is the result of several factors—rising rents, utilities, and labor costs—converging to a point where we can no longer operate sustainably. We want to thank the city, our staff and loyal customers for their support over the past 12 years. We remain committed to our other locations across the UK and are looking into new ways to keep the brand accessible to all."

McKenna noted that while the Belfast venue is closing, the company will maintain operations at its other six sites, some of which have also faced cost‑related challenges but remain profitable due to lower overheads or more favourable leases. The company has indicated plans to streamline its UK operations and potentially introduce new “mini‑Vertigo” pop‑up locations in the future, a strategy already used in smaller towns such as Glasgow and Liverpool.

Community and Economic Impact

The closure will affect at least 30 employees, most of whom are young, part‑time workers who rely on the venue for income between school terms. According to a Belfast City Council spokesperson, the council will offer a short‑term job‑placement programme and a small grant to assist affected staff in transitioning to other roles.

Parents who grew up visiting Vertigo are not without nostalgia. A local blogger, Sarah O’Connor, wrote in a column for the Belfast News Letter: “We’ve watched our kids grow from first‑time trampoline beginners to senior athletes in that centre. Losing it feels like the city is losing a playground for its next generation.” Meanwhile, a group of former employees have started a petition on Change.org calling for a “Belfast Revitalisation Fund” to help maintain other community leisure spaces.

The news also adds to the growing narrative of rising operating costs affecting leisure and entertainment venues across the UK. In a recent Financial Times article (linked in the original piece), experts noted that many leisure businesses that survived the pandemic’s first wave are now finding the post‑COVID economic environment—characterised by high energy costs and inflation—unsustainable.

Links to Additional Resources

The original article on the Irish News website contains several links that offer context for the broader industry trend:

• We Are Vertigo Official Site – The company’s own site provides a full history of its UK locations and the official closure notice.
• Belfast City Council Economic Impact Report – Offers data on job losses and economic ripple effects in the city’s leisure sector.
• Financial Times “Post‑Pandemic Leisure Industry” – An analysis of cost pressures on indoor entertainment businesses.
• Local BBC News Interview – A video clip with the CEO of Vertigo discussing the closure and future plans.

Readers looking to explore the story further might also want to check out the Irish Times coverage on the state of the leisure industry in Northern Ireland and the Belfast Business Journal’s article on rising commercial rents in the city center.

Conclusion

The closure of We Are Vertigo’s Belfast venue is a microcosm of a wider challenge faced by leisure‑centric businesses in an era of escalating operating costs. For families who have come to see it as a safe, indoor holiday destination, the news is bittersweet; for the company, it is a necessary pivot in a shifting economic landscape. As Vertigo announces its next steps—potentially smaller, more cost‑efficient formats—there remains hope that the spirit of indoor adventure will persist, even if the iconic Belfast landmark must say goodbye.