Where was Blue Lights season 3 filmed?
The hit police show is back for round three.

Blue Lights season 3 has now landed, transporting fans back to the tumultuous streets of Belfast after a little bit of a wait between seasons.
This season is set to be more "intense" than ever before, with our previously new recruits – Grace (Siân Brooke), Tommy (Nathan Braniff) and Annie (Katherine Devlin) – now more senior in their roles and facing the pressure from all sides of the job.
Featuring some ongoing and brand new storylines, this third season "looks at the professional apparatus alongside organised crime, and how paramilitaries in Belfast are often in thrall to international organised crime gangs using the territory as a stopping off point for large scale drug smuggling," explained series co-creator Declan Lawn.
With Belfast being as much of a character as any of the cast in Blue Lights, there are a raft of local locations used in the filming of the BBC series. Wondering just where the police drama was filmed? Read on for everything you need to know.
Where was Blue Lights filmed?

As with season 1, the entirety of Blue Lights seasons 2 and 3 were shot in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with specific areas being used this time around including the Monkstown area of Newtownabbey and the Granton Park housing estate.
The third season, like the previous two, was also filmed in the city centre with locations including Victoria Park and in the greater Belfast area.
Other areas used for filming on season 2 included the city centre and the High Street, as well as Dundonald, which is east of the city.
The show's creators have consistently praised the crew in Northern Ireland who help put the show together and, when asked about the overall response to the series being set and filmed in Belfast, series co-creator Adam Patterson said: "We generally get a very warm welcome whenever we are on location in Belfast.
"When we have the lead actors filming, there are a lot of requests for selfies. None of us mind that in the least; it’s a privilege to have these actors and characters that people seem to connect to.
"Similarly, the response from the police has been very positive. The thing they say most often is that they feel the series humanises them, even though as writers we do our best to show the problematic sides of the organisation alongside the positives."
In terms of some of the new locations used in the season 3 plot, he continued: "[Season 3] looks at a different side of Belfast. Private members’ clubs where people do what they want. Big houses with high security gates in which residents feel above the law. In many ways it’s about white-collar criminals who consider themselves to be beyond the reach of our response officers."
Previously, Declan Lawn explained that Belfast is "more of a character in this series" than the first, and that "you see the full spectrum of the city" throughout the episodes.
Patterson continued: "Stylistically, in series two we wanted to evolve and show more of Belfast, and I don’t just mean having more shots of officers in Belfast, but standalone shots of the city that mean something to the storyline.
"We really worked hard to find the tapestry and the blanket imagery that would lead into our worlds and people, and that led to it feeling more visceral and real. We wanted to show more of this place that we love but that is still in many ways troubled."
Where is Blue Lights set?

Blue Lights is set entirely in Belfast, following the day-to-day lives of officers working there for the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland).
Co-creator Adam Patterson said of the series: "We wanted to make a show that we were proud of, that people in Northern Ireland loved, and a show they felt represented the place we all love. We invested a lot of ourselves in the first series."
Meanwhile, co-creator Declan Lawn added: "Blue Lights is set in a very specific place. It’s hyper local, yet universal in its themes. Everyone has started a new job, has felt under pressure, and to some extent, everyone has found a family that’s not their own family.
"These things affect all of us, regardless of where we are from, so perhaps that had something to do with why it seemed to resonate so much."
What year is Blue Lights set in?
Blue Lights is set in contemporary Belfast and chronicles fictional events set in the present day.
Speaking about the show's timeless quality, co-creator Adam Patterson previously told RadioTimes.com: "I think I speak for everyone who I know in the world and say it really felt like a horrible flashback from a time that we all thought we'd left behind. But a reminder as to why the show is so important."
Patterson continued: "We can't just ignore the fact that there is still a lingering threat for these people that literally lay themselves on the line to uphold our civic duty. That's amazing, and we just love the police for that. Of course, they’re a flawed machine; like many machines, they have their issues."
Blue Lights season 3 will arrive on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Monday 29th September. seasons 1-2 are available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
