Fleadh Cheoil, the largest annual festival of traditional Irish music and arts, is to be held in Belfast for the first time in 2026, it is believed.
The Irish festival and competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann has only taken place in the North of Ireland once – in Derry in 2013.
Belfast sought to host the festival, the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music, but was previously unsuccessful in its bid to do. Last year, the Fleadh was held in Wexford as it will be again in August 2025.
While Comhaltas has not officially announced the news, The Irish News said that the national festival would be held in the north in 2026, with the announcement expected to be made by Belfast City Council officially next month.
Tens of millions could be generated for the local economy, with social media users welcoming the economic boost it could give Belfast, through increased tourism and the opportunity to showcase Irish music on a global stage. Last summer, the traditional festival attracted more than half a million visitors to Wexford, while generating an estimated €60 million for the economy.
Responding to the news on social media, one user said, “Good for business and good for entertainment. It’s a win for everyone.”
“That’s one for the diary, brilliant,” another X user said.
In 2022, a Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) councillor attempted to stop a letter of support on hosting the Fleadh from Ards and North Down Borough Council to Belfast City Council and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann – but both DUP and UUP Ards and North Down councillors voted down Cllr Stephen Cooper’s proposals.
The latest bid to host the festival was made in conjunction with Ards Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, a cross-community non profit organisation promoting and fostering Irish traditional music, song and dance in the Ards region.
The Irish News reports that a report from Belfast City Council on the 2024 application to host the 60-year-old celebration had noted that not using enough Irish in the submission was one of the reasons that Belfast was declined. Insufficient disabled access, not attending enough fleadhs, and not engaging enough with voting members were also among factors.
Belfast Trad Fest has welcomed the development as “exciting,” while Marching Bands Ireland described it as “big news.”