Belfast · Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann · Issue nº 1

Fáilte.

The world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture lands in Belfast for eight unforgettable days.
What's on. What's busy. Where to go next.

Open the live map Full programme Fleadh offers Cúpla Focal

Inside the guide

BelfastFleadh Guide2–9 Aug

Fleadh 2026 · What's on

The full festival programme

Tap any day to see what's running. Events update live as venues add them.

AllTradFest 26 Jul – 1 AugSun 2 AugMon 3 AugTue 4 Aug

AllTrad & FolkDJsScreenings

TUESDAY 2 JUNE

9am
Exhibition
Molly St George: Lacemaking and Irish Traditional Music
The McClay Library at Queen's University

SUNDAY 14 JUNE

8pm
Trad & Folk
Weekly entertainment
The Parador

WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE

10am
Exhibition
Something to Say - Seamus Heaney Centre Public Exhibition
The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University

MONDAY 27 JULY

2pm
WorkshopsBelfast TradFest
Flute - Afternoon
Ulster University

SATURDAY 1 AUGUST

9am
Exhibition
Give us a tune! Portraits from Traditional Irish Music - Front Lawn Exhibition
Queen's University - Lanyon Building
10am
Exhibition
Queen's University Belfast - AR Exhibition
Queen's Film Theatre
10am
Exhibition
The Light of Other Days
2 Royal Avenue

Open full programme →

Keep scrollingNext: Interactive Map

Inside the guide

View full programme

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What’s On

From morning sessions to late-night concerts, workshops, céilís and more. See what’s on now and plan your week. Explore the full programme →

Hand-picked for Fleadh week

Featured.

A short list of standout events and places, selected by us.

Featured venue

Electric Light Station

6 Chapel Lane, Belfast

The Session Trail

55 rooms across the city are marked as welcoming seisiúin. These are the places to build a night around, with traditional music flowing from one session to the next. Explore all venues →

Nº 01 · The purist

Madden's

The session pub’s session pub. Two stories, no frills, no fuss, with music in every inch. Tucked away on Berry Street, it’s a place where the music has always come first, and probably always will.

74 Berry Street, BT1 1FJ

Nº 02 · The elder

Kelly's Cellars

Pouring since 1720, and it looks it in the best way. Low ceilings, whitewashed walls, and a floor that has heard three centuries of tunes. Get in early; it fills by the first reel.

Bank Street, BT1 1HL

Nº 03

The Sunflower

The green security cage on the door stays, a relic turned welcome sign. Trad in the bar, craft beer on tap.

Union Street

Nº 04

The Duke

Down a cobbled entry strung with umbrellas and neon. The whole of Commercial Court becomes the venue.

Commercial Court

Nº 05

The American Bar

Out in Sailortown by the docks, worth the walk. A proper neighbourhood bar.

Dock Street

Nº 06

The Pavilion

Victorian bones on the Ormeau Road. Affectionately known as The Big House.

Ormeau Road

Nº 07 · The family

Lavery's

The oldest family-owned pub responsible for this guide.

12–18 Bradbury Place, BT7 1RS

Across the city

234 venues

Pubs, halls, cobbles and back rooms. Every one is plotted on the live map with what's on tonight.

See them all →

Cúpla Focal

A few words. Enough to get you a pint

Sláinte/ SLAWN-cha /Cheers to your health.

Ceol/ kyohl /Music. The reason you're here.

Seisiún/ seh-SHOON /A session: musicians round a table, tunes going round.

Craic/ crack /Fun, news, atmosphere. "What’s the craic?" is hello.

Go raibh maith agat/ guh rev mah AH-gut /Thank you.

Arís!/ ah-REESH /"Again!" Shout it when the tune ends and you want one more.

The full Cúpla Focal →

Guest Guides

The city, as walked by the people who know it. Musicians, publicans and locals hand over their Fleadh week.

Guest GuideBrian Coney, Editor, The Thin Air

Guest GuideLinda Ervine, Manager of Turas and Co-founder of Scoil na Seolta

Guest GuideComing soon