Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann - the biggest Trad celebration Belfast has ever seen!
23rd July, 2026
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, is coming to Belfast from Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 August 2026. Tap into the energy of this vibrant city as the world-famous festival lands on the banks of the River Lagan. Discover lively pub sessions, spontaneous street performances and dramatic stage shows in Ireland’s only UNESCO City of Music.
The Fleadh will transform Belfast into a city-wide stage, with 200+ events planned across venues and local neighbourhoods, spanning music, dance and cultural activity, as well as All-Ireland competitions and concerts. Inclusive programming and cross-community participation will be central, with a focus on family events, accessible events and showcasing the city’s many musical stories.
From big-name acts to emerging talent, wander through waves of music and movement, culture and craic. Whether you’re a devoted follower of trad or a wide-eyed first timer, experience the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music, song, language and dance.
The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann promises to be a momentous event for Belfast. With a minimum of 800,000 spectators and visitors from across the world in attendance, it is shaping up to be the biggest cultural event held in Belfast.
What’s on!
Experience world‑class performers, family‑friendly events and vibrant outdoor celebrations as Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann takes place in Belfast. With concerts, céilís and community showcases, enjoy 8 days of culture and craic. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, feel the energy of the fleadh as we celebrate together across the city.
Throughout the 8 days, qualifying competitors from all over the world will showcase the very best of traditional music talent in All-Ireland competitions. Other activities and events across the eight-day cultural festival will include Scoil Éigse, competitions, concerts, street sessions, cultural activities, Gig-Rig, céilí bands, pageants, marching bands, awards, launches and recitals, Irish Language events & hub, plus visual arts exhibitions and more!
Many Arts Council of Northern Ireland funded venues, organisations and artists will be taking part in Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. For our must-see highlights visit our What's on in the Arts special.
What’s on in the Arts Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann special
To view the full programme visit https://fleadhcheoil.ie/
Whether you’re travelling by air, ferry, train, bus or car, there are travel options to reach Belfast. Visitors travelling to the All-Ireland Fleadh in Belfast should plan their journey, leave extra time and make use of public transport, including dedicated Park and Ride services.
Detailed travel information for those travelling to Fleadh is available from https://fleadhcheoil.ie/travel/ – this includes Park and Ride locations, booking details and tips for planning your journey around Belfast. Shuttle bus schedules will also be available in the coming weeks.
The Translink website www.translink.co.uk/fleadh – has info on bus and train services, good value fares, bus stop alterations and other useful advice to plan your journey.
- Extensive traffic management measures will be in place to ensure visitors can make their way around safely and easily from Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 August.
- As part of the event, Belfast city centre will be pedestrianised, helping to create a welcoming event zone as the city prepares to host the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture for the first time.
With an anticipated 800,000 people expected over eight days, three dedicated Park and Ride sites will be open for those travelling to the city. Visitors are advised not to drive into the city centre and instead use the Park and Ride facilities at Eikon Exhibition Centre (close to the M1), Giant’s Park (close to M2) and Belfast Harbour (near the M3). These sites will provide regular and convenient access to everything the Fleadh has to offer, while significantly reducing vehicle traffic around the main event.
Pre-booking is strongly advised and will be available via from https://fleadhcheoil.ie/travel... from Monday 6 July. Car parking at all three sites will cost £10 per day. Disabled parking will be allocated to blue badge holders when they pre-book their Park and Ride space.
- A free shuttle bus service, with fully accessible buses, will run regularly to either Grand Central Station or Laganside Bus Centre, depending on the site. Disabled parking will be allocated to blue badge holders when they pre-book their Park and Ride space.
- As a compact and easy to navigate city, those attending the Fleadh in Belfast can walk, cycle or use public transport to explore the city.
- Signage and additional wayfinding will be in place to direct visitors towards Fleadh venues, and volunteers will be on hand at key locations, including Belfast Grand Central Station and Lanyon Place Station.
- There will also be accessible shuttle buses at Fleadh Park & Ride sites (Eikon Exhibition Centre (near M1), Giant’s Park (near M2) and Belfast Harbour (near M3) ) and between campsites at Ormeau Park and Titanic Quarter and the city centre.
- Each Park and Ride site has a designated Blue Badge parking area close to the shuttle pick‑up.
- Blue badge holders will be able to park at Dunbar Street (outside Common Market in Cathedral Quarter) and Smithfield (to the rear of CastleCourt) car parks during the event.
- A drop-in Accessibility Hub will be available at CastleCourt Shopping Centre at 63 Royal Avenue. Located in unit 59 on the first floor, the Hub will be open from Sunday 2 August to Sunday 9 August, 11am – 7pm daily, operated by leading arts and disability organisation, Open Arts, with support from volunteers from Volunteer Now. CastleCourt also offers accessible toilets, lifts, escalators and a Changing Place.
- Those who would like to hire a wheelchair or mobility scooter can do so from ShopMobility, located just behind CastleCourt in Smithfield Market.
- Information about Changing Places in Belfast (including Belfast Zoo, CastleCourt, City Hall, Crescent Arts Centre, Lanyon Place Train Station, Ulster Museum and Victoria Square) is available at
- www.changing-places.org/find
- There will also be additional temporary portable toilet provision in City Hall grounds, Fountain Lane, Hill Street and Verner Street (beside St George’s Market), with a minimum of two accessible Portaloos at each site. A parent and child changing space will be available in City Hall grounds and on Hill Street, and a mobile Accessoloo changing place toilet will be available at the rear of 2 Royal Avenue in the city centre.
- A limited number of free tickets are now live for the accessible viewing area at the Fleadh opening and closing ceremonies on the Gig Rig stage in the grounds of Belfast City Hall via the Fleadh Cheoil website. The dedicated accessible viewing space at the Gig Rig will be unticketed and free to access during the rest of the Fleadh week.
- The AccessAble website also provides a wealth of information on accessible venues in Belfast including hotels, visitor attractions, shops, restaurants and bars.
- For more details on accessibility in Belfast visit https://fleadhcheoil.ie/plan-y...
- All the city’s public transport services will run as normal during the event and any minor alterations to bus stops and pick-up points will be available online at translink.co.uk/fleadh and via the Translink Journey Planner app. The public transport network will also help visitors explore the wider city and region.
- All three official Fleadh campsites – at Titanic Quarter, Ormeau Park and Falls Park – are located close to main bus routes or are an easy walk to the city centre, while the vast majority of Fleadh events are all located within 15 minutes’ walk from Belfast city centre itself.
For all details related to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026 visit https://fleadhcheoil.ie/