Belfast to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026, expecting up to 800,000 visitors

Belfast will host the All‑Ireland music festival Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann from 2 to 9 August 2026, marking the first time the event is held in the city and only the second time in Northern Ireland. Organisers expect around 800,000 visitors and a programme that blends Irish traditional music with Ulster Scots, South Asian and other global influences.

The festival’s main outdoor stage, the Gig Rig, will be set up at City Hall. An open call for performers runs until 31 January, inviting traditional musicians, emerging artists, youth groups and community ensembles to apply. Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly said the Gig Rig will “share the richness, diversity and energy of traditional music from all cultures.” Other key venues include the Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall, where competitors from around the world will take part in solo, band and pipe‑band contests.

Visit Belfast chief executive Gerry Lennon welcomed the festival, saying the city “can’t wait” to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors and showcase its cultural diversity through concerts, street sessions and a specially commissioned opening ceremony that fuses Irish music with Dhol drums, Indian dance and Highland performers.