Gig Rig - Saturday

Gig Rig Daytime Programme

Saturday 8 August | Belfast City Hall

Day Seven of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026 brings another packed programme of traditional music, song and dance to the Gig Rig at Belfast City Hall, with performances running from late morning right through to 11pm.

The day brings together musicians, dancers and ensembles from Belfast, across Ireland and further afield, before an evening featuring some of the most exciting names in contemporary traditional music.

Among the evening highlights is the Rynne, Breen, Murray Trio, bringing together multi-instrumentalist Tara Breen, concertina virtuoso Pádraig Rynne and acclaimed guitarist Jim Murray. Three remarkable musical careers meet in a collaboration built on extraordinary musicianship and a shared ability to push at the edges of the tradition.

A regular touring member of The Chieftains, Tara Breen has won numerous All-Ireland titles on fiddle, while Pádraig Rynne is renowned as a virtuoso musician and prolific composer whose work explores both the Irish tradition and the possibilities beyond it. Jim Murray has toured extensively with Sharon Shannon and performed and recorded with artists including Sinéad O'Connor, Steve Earle, Shane MacGowan, Altan and Mary Black.

At 7pm, Peter Street take to the Gig Rig, bringing youthful energy and exceptional musicianship across everything from lively reels to soulful ballads. The ensemble features Keelan McGrath on accordion, Fionn O'Hanlon on bouzouki, John Paul Reynolds on fiddle and Simon Crehan on guitar and vocals.

From 9pm, Céilí House Live takes over the stage, bringing the atmosphere of the much-loved traditional music programme into the heart of Belfast, followed by Glór na dTonn Céilí Band at 10.10pm.

Closing Saturday night's programme are Mec Lir, whose foot-stomping rhythms, genre-bending arrangements and electrifying approach to traditional music have earned them a reputation for exhilarating live performances. The quartet features Manx fiddle player Tomas Callister, Adam Rhodes on bouzouki, David Kilgallon on keyboard and Scotland's Greg Barry on drums.

Before the evening programme gets underway, the Gig Rig hosts a brilliant cross-section of the Fleadh, from the County Cork Pipes and Drums of NYC and Ring of Gullion CCÉ to Unity Irish Dance, the Parkinson Accordion Band and an Open Air Céilí at 3pm.

Set against the iconic backdrop of Belfast City Hall, the Gig Rig is free and open to everyone, offering one of the best places in the city to experience the scale, variety and atmosphere of the Fleadh.

With just one day remaining before Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026 draws to a close, Saturday promises a full day and night of music in the heart of Belfast.

Event Schedule

11:00 — County Cork Pipes and Drums of NYC
11:30 — Molly Donnery
12:15 — Ring of Gullion CCÉ
13:40 — Una McGlinchey
14:20 — Unity Irish Dance
15:00 — Open Air Céilí
16:10 — Parkinson Accordion Band
17:20 — Singapore CCÉ
18:00 — Rynne, Breen, Murray Trio
19:00 — Peter Street
21:00 — Céilí House Live
22:10 — Glór na dTonn Céilí Band
23:00 — Mec Lir