Blue Lights stars spotlight Belfast as BBC’s Made Of Here campaign lights up city centre

Blue Lights cast members Nathan Braniff, Siân Brooke and Katherine Devlin

The cast of hit police drama Blue Lights have paused filming in Belfast to back a major BBC campaign celebrating the city’s growing influence in television, as a striking new installation transforms a key route through the city centre.

Actors Siân Brooke, Nathan Braniff and Katherine Devlin stepped away from production on the show’s fourth series to visit a specially designed billboard on Great Victoria Street, created as part of the BBC’s Made Of Here campaign in Northern Ireland.

The installation, illuminated in neon blue, uses the police phonetic alphabet to spell out ‘MIKE ALPHA DELTA ECHO OSCAR FOXTROT BRAVO ECHO LIMA FOXTROT ALPHA SIERRA TANGO’ - translating to ‘Made Of Belfast’. The display is set to remain in place until Sunday 10 May.

Cast reflect on Belfast’s impact

Siân Brooke, who plays Constable Grace Ellis, said her connection to the city has deepened through filming.

“I’ve grown so fond of this place and all the people. Filming here has given me a much deeper understanding of this beautiful city and I think it’s probably the people who are open-hearted, straightforward, funny and gritty, that bring me back.

“I think Blue Lights resonates with audiences because it is human. It deals with topics that affect everybody, but it travels because it’s got heart and it deals very much with issues that are very current at the moment. Also, I think there has been an appetite to sort of understand where Belfast is now. That’s why the BBC is so important in today’s television landscape because it is very much about being able to shine a light on the regions.”

Nathan Braniff, who plays Constable Tommy Foster, said the series has played a personal role in bringing him back home.

“For me, it’s great to be filming in Belfast because I’m from here. I moved away when I was 18 and Blue Lights was the show that brought me home.

“The series is a really positive thing for Belfast, because the city has become the character of the show and in a lot of ways it shows how much we’ve progressed over time. Blue lights has picked up the baton from other shows that have been filmed here, creating opportunities for the local creative sector. It’s great to see because it maybe encourages some people who might not jump into the creative sector, to get involved in it.”

Katherine Devlin, who plays Constable Annie Devlin, highlighted the economic and creative impact of the production.

“It’s genuinely really good to be back filming Blue Lights. It brings so much work into the country and has created incredible opportunities for local talent, both on screen and behind-the-scenes from makeup artists to drivers, which is important.

“I think the series really retains the authenticity and originality that Belfast encapsulates as a city and doesn’t dilute the culture by any means, especially for a wider audience.”

Strong audiences and industry impact

Blue Lights, produced by Two Cities Television and co-produced by Gallagher Films for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, continues to deliver strong viewing figures.

The award-winning drama, set and filmed in Belfast, is co-created, written and executive produced by Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, co-created and produced by Stephen Wright, and co-created and co-produced by Louise Gallagher, with support from Northern Ireland Screen.

Its third series has been the best performing BBC programme in Northern Ireland in 2025/26 so far, drawing an audience of 453,000 viewers. Across the UK, the series has reached 5.44 million.

Campaign builds on high-profile Belfast moments

The Made Of Here campaign has already delivered major visual moments in Northern Ireland, including a large-scale recreation of RMS Titanic in Belfast Harbour using around 1,000 drones earlier this month.

The display was inspired by the BBC factual series Titanic Sinks Tonight, filmed and produced in Northern Ireland by Belfast-based Stellify Media with support from Northern Ireland Screen. The programme, first broadcast in December 2025, has become the BBC’s biggest history documentary of 2025/26 so far, attracting more than two million viewers across the UK, with nearly half watching on BBC iPlayer.

Throughout April, the campaign has extended across billboards, press and cinema advertising, with Belfast Grand Central Station also featuring promotional material for locally made programmes including Funboys and Blue Lights.

Showcasing Northern Ireland on a UK stage

The BBC says the Made Of Here campaign is designed to celebrate the towns and cities across the UK that inspire its programming, placing homegrown storytelling at the centre of its output.

Northern Ireland is the latest region to be highlighted, following previous campaign activity in Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow.

At its core is a short film promoting the BBC’s ability to connect audiences through drama, comedy and factual programming rooted in real places and communities, with Belfast now firmly positioned as one of those defining creative hubs.

As filming continues on Blue Lights and the campaign rolls on across the region, the message is clear - Belfast is not just a backdrop, but a driving force in shaping stories that resonate far beyond Northern Ireland.

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At a glance

• Blue Lights cast visited a new BBC campaign installation in Belfast city centre

• Neon billboard on Great Victoria Street spells ‘Made Of Belfast’ using police phonetic alphabet

• Display remains in place until Sunday 10 May

• Cast praised Belfast’s people, authenticity and growing creative sector

• Series 3 is the top performing BBC show in Northern Ireland in 2025/26 with 453k viewers

• UK-wide audience for Blue Lights reached 5.44 million

• Campaign previously featured a 1,000-drone Titanic display in Belfast Harbour

• Titanic Sinks Tonight documentary drew over two million UK viewers

• Made Of Here campaign showcases UK regions including Belfast, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow