Fleadh 2026 · What's on
The full festival programme
Tap any day to see what's running. Events update live as venues add them.
TUESDAY 9 JUNE
10am
ExhibitionGaelStair
Ulster Museum
# Bóthar Seoighe ## The Story of Belfast's First Urban Gaeltacht For more than a century, people across Ireland have worked to preserve and revive the Irish language. Few initiatives have left a legacy as enduring as **Gaeltacht Bhóthar Seoighe**, Belfast's first urban Gaeltacht. This exhibition explores the remarkable origins of the community and the vision of those who believed the Irish language could flourish in the heart of a modern city. Through determination, collective action and a shared sense of purpose, families came together to build not only homes, but a thriving Irish-speaking community. From establishing schools and raising children through Irish to creating cultural institutions and community networks, the residents of Bóthar Seoighe laid the foundations for a movement that continues to shape Belfast today. --- ## A Living Legacy Discover the story of how a small group of language activists transformed an idea into a lasting community, helping to secure the future of the Irish language for generations to come. Through photographs, artefacts and personal stories, this exhibition celebrates the people who built a neighbourhood, nurtured a culture and created one of the most significant chapters in the modern history of the Irish language. > *A story of language, identity, resilience and community in the heart of Belfast.* --- For further information and related activities, visit the **Ulster Museum** website.
SUNDAY 14 JUNE
8pm
Trad & FolkWeekly entertainment
The Parador
We normally host Traditional Music Sessions on Tuesdays, Jazz Sessions on Wednesdays, and Ukulele Sessions on Thursdays. During Fleadh Cheoil week, however, we'll be opening our doors to musicians of all styles and abilities for a special Open House Session. Everyone is welcome to join in.
WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE
10am
ExhibitionSomething to Say - Seamus Heaney Centre Public Exhibition
The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University
Something To Say looks at the personal and professional friendship between Seamus Heaney and musician, film maker and broadcaster David Hammond, and features screenings with accompanying correspondence and production notes of some of the work they made together. This exhibition celebrates friendship and collaboration, charting the evolution of ideas through correspondence, in both meanings of the word: letters, faxes, and scribbled notes; but also, the shared understanding that grows between artists as they learn the language of each other's artforms.
TUESDAY 28 JULY
11am
ExhibitionLook Back to Look Forward: 50 Years of the Irish In Britain
Elmwood Hall
Look Back to Look Forward is a major public exhibition built around oral histories of people from across the island of Ireland who moved to Britain over the past five decades. Through audio, film, objects and interactive content, the exhibition explores themes of migration, identity and belonging. Visitors will experience powerful personal testimonies about leaving home, building new lives in Britain and sustaining connections across generations and place. Seen by more than 120,000 visitors at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and toured across major cities in Britain, this summer marks the exhibition’s first presentation in Northern Ireland.
SATURDAY 1 AUGUST
9am
ExhibitionGive us a tune! Portraits from Traditional Irish Music - Front Lawn Exhibition
Queen's University - Lanyon Building
Irish traditional music is a living form shaped by rhythm, memory, migration, and exchange. Passed between generations through performance and listening, it survives not as a fixed artefact but as an evolving cultural practice carried by people. This exhibition brings together specially commissioned portraits by Irish illustrator Fiona O'Donnell, celebrating musicians, singers, collectors, and cultural figures who have shaped the history of Irish traditional music across the island of Ireland and beyond. Spanning more than three centuries, the exhibition moves from the preservation work of Edward Bunting and the itinerant harp tradition of Turlough O’Carolan to contemporary artists including Loah and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh. Together, these portraits trace how songs, tunes, stories, and styles have travelled across counties, generations, languages, and national borders.
10am
Trad & FolkUlster Society of Women's Artists
Crumlin Road Gaol
The 69th Annual Exhibition. Free parking. Free Entry. Open late on Thursday and Friday evenings 7-10pm
10am
ExhibitionQueen's University Belfast - AR Exhibition
Queen's Film Theatre
# Traditional Music on Screen ## Queen's University Belfast Fleadh Programme As part of the campus-wide **Fleadh at Queen's** celebrations, a free exhibition will take place at **Queen's Film Theatre (QFT)**, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore traditional music through the lens of film and archive. Drawing on the rich resources of **Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive**, the exhibition presents rare and fascinating footage that captures traditional music, musicians and cultural life from decades past, allowing audiences to experience the tradition in a completely new way. --- ## Explore the Archive Through historic film recordings and archival material, visitors can discover: - Traditional musicians and performers from previous generations - Rare footage from communities across Northern Ireland - Historical perspectives on music, culture and everyday life - Unique audiovisual records of Ireland's living traditions The exhibition provides a compelling insight into how traditional music has been documented, preserved and shared through moving image. --- ## Part of a Wider Fleadh at Queen's Programme Alongside the exhibition, Queen's University Belfast will host a wide range of Fleadh-related activities throughout the week, including: - Film screenings - Exhibitions - Talks and discussions - Cultural events and performances For full programme details, visit: https://www.qub.ac.uk/events/fleadh > *Discover traditional music through the archives and experience Ireland's cultural heritage from a fresh perspective at Queen's Film Theatre.*
10am
ExhibitionThe Light of Other Days
2 Royal Avenue
# The Light of Other Days ## Photographs by Jim Maginn *The Light of Other Days* is a deeply personal photographic archive celebrating the people, places and traditions at the heart of Irish traditional music. Originally from **Lurgan** and resident in **Belfast** for over forty years, **Jim Maginn** has spent decades documenting the traditional music community through his camera lens. Inspired and mentored by the acclaimed photographer **Victor Sloan**, Jim developed a distinctive documentary style rooted in observation, patience and a profound appreciation for the culture he was recording. Working in the tradition of documentary portraiture and pursuing what Henri Cartier-Bresson famously described as *"the decisive moment"*, Jim's photographs capture far more than performances. They reveal character, connection and the quiet humanity that exists behind the music. The collection features intimate portraits of both celebrated figures and unsung heroes of the traditional music world. Many of those pictured have since passed on, making these images not only works of art, but important cultural documents preserving moments, personalities and stories that might otherwise have been lost to time. --- ## An Exhibition for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann Presented as part of the **Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann** fringe programme, *The Light of Other Days* offers a rare opportunity to explore a carefully curated selection of Jim Maginn's most iconic photographs. Together, these images form a visual celebration of Ireland's rich musical heritage, honouring the musicians, singers and tradition bearers whose passion continues to shape the cultural landscape of Ireland today. > *A remarkable photographic journey through the faces, moments and memories that define Irish traditional music.*
2:30pm
PerformanceMarie Jones' The Blind Fiddler
The Lyric Theatre
Featuring world class trad musicians, Cathal Hayden & Mairtín O’Connor. # The Blind Fiddler ## An Un-fleadh-gettable Celebration of Music, Memory & Belfast **Marie Jones' magic weaves live traditional music with Belfast's unmistakable sense of humour in this unforgettable drama-comedy.** *The Blind Fiddler* is set in one of Belfast's famous traditional music pubs, exploring **family, memory and cultural identity** against the backdrop of live traditional Irish music. Inspired by a true story, the play follows **Kathleen Gormley** from her childhood growing up above a pub in working-class Belfast. In the dark days of the Troubles, the pub becomes an oasis of music, storytelling and community. Kathleen finds herself caught between two worlds: her ambitious mother, who dreams of escaping to the Cave Hill Road, and her publican father, a musician and storyteller determined that she never loses sight of where she came from. As Kathleen's journey unfolds into adulthood, and through the heartbreaking loss of the man she loved most but no longer recognised, she begins to unravel an extraordinary family secret. Along the way, she is guided by her father's fantastical tales of **The Blind Fiddler**... or perhaps they weren't just stories after all. ## A Marie Jones Classic Having previously sold out tours across the UK and Ireland, along with acclaimed runs at the **Edinburgh Fringe Festival**, *The Blind Fiddler* remains one of **Marie Jones'** finest works, showcasing her remarkable ability to balance laughter with heartbreak. Featuring world-class musicians **Cathal Hayden**, **Mairtín O'Connor**, and the **Murphy brothers, Niall & Eoin**, this production seamlessly blends outstanding live traditional music with a moving and deeply human story.
SUNDAY 2 AUGUST
10am
OutdoorsCastle Place Session Space
Castle Place Tent
Session Spaces: 2RA: Bio: This Session Space has a mix of family friendly workshops, arts activities and of course, music. Get involved in intergenerational storytelling sessions, crafting and a dance party from Anann's Arch. Hear the next generation of musicians at the Children's Trad session and enjoy the musical showcase 'Sessions and Tunes' programmed by Moving on Music. Visitors are invited to join in a collective artwork 'Woven', weaving together colourful fabrics in a celebration of our rich textile history, and later in the week to add their favourite Fleadh memories to ' A Great Day for the Washing'. Full details below. This space is also open for sessions when not programmed. Schedule: Sun 2nd August 10am, 12.15pm and 2pm Croithíní - A Movers and Shakers Workshop and Damhsa d'Anann Party Mon 3rd August 10am and 1pm Scéal sa Spéir - Stories in the Sky 2pm- 4pm Woven Tues 4th August 10am- 4pm Woven Wed 5th August 10am-12pm Woven 12-2pm Children's Trad Trail hosted by Glengormley School of Traditional Music 2pm- 4pm Woven Thurs 6th August 10am-12pm Woven 2pm-7pm Moving On Music Fri 7th August 10am-4pm A Great Day For The Washing-(Ordinary Traditions, Extraordinary Stories) Sat 8th August 10am-4pm A Great Day For The Washing-(Ordinary Traditions, Extraordinary Stories) Sun 9th August 10am-4pm A Great Day For The Washing-(Ordinary Traditions, Extraordinary Stories)
10:30am
FamilyBig Breakfast Super Sunday - South
The Commons
# The Duncairn's Big Breakfasts & Super Sundays **The Duncairn's Big Breakfasts and Super Sundays** are free, family-friendly community gatherings designed to bring people together through music, creativity, conversation and connection during **Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026**. Taking place in communities across **North, South, East and West Belfast**, these welcoming events create opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together, share experiences and celebrate the rich cultural life of the city. --- ## A Fleadh for Everyone Inclusive, accessible and open to all, Big Breakfasts and Super Sundays are about more than entertainment. They provide spaces where communities can connect, build relationships and enjoy the spirit of the Fleadh in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Expect a mix of: - Live music - Creative activities - Conversation and storytelling - Family-friendly entertainment - Community engagement Whether you're a lifelong traditional music enthusiast or simply looking for a welcoming place to spend time with family and friends, everyone is invited to take part. --- ## Celebrating Community By bringing people together in neighbourhoods throughout Belfast, these events reflect the shared spirit of the Fleadh and The Duncairn's commitment to inclusion, participation and community wellbeing. > *Free, welcoming and family-friendly gatherings celebrating music, creativity, culture and connection across Belfast.*
11am
Trad & FolkSt George's at the Fleadh
St. Georges Church
# St George's at the Fleadh Belfast's heritage is greatly enhanced by the music at **St George's Church** on High Street. Since the current building's dedication in **1816**, St George's has been a bastion of the city's cultural life. Of particular relevance to **Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann**, St George's first Director of Music was **Edward Bunting**, the earliest collector of ancient Irish traditional melodies. The church hosts the **Bunting Festival of Harpers** and the **Harp Society of Ireland's** annual concerts. --- ## Bunting Exhibition Visit our **Bunting Exhibition** at the church entrance before attending the concerts. --- ## Programme ### Tuesday 4 August | 1:00pm A short recital by the **St George's Women's Voices Choir**, performing a 30-minute programme of traditional music arrangements by composers including **Havelock Nelson**, **Ó Cearbhaill** and **Michael McGlynn**. ### Wednesday | 1:00pm A different take on traditional music, with interpretations performed on the organ by **Mr David Stevens**. ### Thursday | 7:00pm **Bal Feirste**, a group of Irish and French musicians, will present an evening of traditional French set dancing. Like a céilí, the closeness of these traditions highlights both the diversity of music and the camaraderie that musical experiences bring to performers and audiences across the world. > *Celebrating the connections between Belfast's musical heritage and the wider traditions of Europe.*
8:30pm
Trad & FolkPatrick "Paahto" Cummins
The Pavilion
Patrick "Paahto" Cummins is one of Ireland's most respected traditional musicians, renowned for his exceptional tenor banjo, mandolin and guitar playing. A founding member of **Skipper's Alley**, former member of **Mules & Men**, and now a key force in the acclaimed folk outfit **Ispíní na hÉireann**, Paahto combines a deep understanding of Irish traditional music with influences from bluegrass and contemporary folk. An award-winning performer, recording artist and educator, he has collaborated with artists including **John Francis Flynn**, released critically acclaimed solo and duo recordings, and contributed extensively as a session musician. Alongside performing, he is also respected for his work preserving and sharing the history and traditions of Irish folk music. Whether on stage, in the studio or teaching the next generation of musicians, Paahto continues to be one of the most influential figures in modern Irish traditional music.
11pm
Trad & FolkAlfi
Lavery's
Multi-award winning trio Alfi is the collaborative project of musicians Fiachra Meek, Ryan McAuley and Alannah Thornburgh. Featuring an unusual line-up of harp, five string banjo and uilleann pipes, Alfi’s music explores a combination of traditional Irish and Appalachian music and song