Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann has begun in Belfast for the first time, with thousands gathering at City Hall for the opening event on Sunday as the eight-day festival gets under way across the city. The festival runs until 9 August and features more than 200 events, competitions, concerts and street performances, making Belfast the centre of the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the city during the event, which is being staged in Northern Ireland for the first time since 2013, when the Fleadh was held in Londonderry and drew an estimated 400,000 people and 20,000 performers.
The opening ceremony began at noon on Sunday on the specially-constructed Gig Rig stage in the grounds of Belfast City Hall. The event featured performances from Ards CCÉ, the local branch of Comhaltas, which organises the Fleadh, as well as a collaborative performance from several groups and appearances by dancers and musicians from across Ireland and beyond.
In her opening address, President Catherine Connolly said it was
very, very specialthat the Fleadh was being held in Belfast.
Over the next week, Belfast will welcome visitors from all corners of Ireland and indeed the worldshe told the crowds.
It is, she said,
a celebration of what we have in common and the universality of music, song and dance.
Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers attended the opening ceremony along with the new Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant.
First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she couldn't be prouder that Belfast is hosting the event.
It is our Fleadh and we'll celebrate it togethershe said.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said culture does not divide people.
It strengthens the place we all call homeshe added.
The festival has drawn visitors from across the island and further afield. Among those in the city was Ruairí Roantree from Blessington, County Wicklow, who described the opening ceremony as
brilliant.
I have always loved Irish folk music and I happened to be up in Belfast and I had never been to the fleadh beforehe said.
The opening ceremony has been brilliant , it is great to see people of all ages involved.
It is a really nice atmosphere and I will be checking out some more traditional sessions today.
Danny Norman from Belfast described the event as great for Belfast, and his children were among some of the first performers to take to the stage.
This is my first time and I'm very proud, there has never been anything like this.
This is great for Belfast, it is a showcase for Northern Ireland, it is good to see a bit of life about Belfast.
People of all ages performed on the opening day, with traditional musicians, dancers and bands from across the island taking part in events around the city centre. Among them were Carys from the Reilly School of Irish Dancing, who entertained crowds on the first day of the festival, and the South Asian Dance Academy, which also performed on the stage outside Belfast City Hall.
Trad band The Hothouse Flowers performed on Sunday afternoon, adding to a programme that also included collaborative performances by several groups on the outdoor stage at the front of City Hall.
Visitors from further afield were also present, including Síofra McHugh and Cameron Mather, who travelled from Sydney, Australia to attend the Fleadh. Other performers and visitors included Dónal, 6, Eilish, 7, and Senan, 10, from Comhaltas Áth Luain in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, as well as Beatrice, aged eight, playing concertina and her mother Constance Dettman playing fiddle, from Chicago.
Owen O'Connor, Lachlin McKibbin and Michael Gaffney were also seen playing outside a bar on Monday as the festival continued to build momentum in the city.
The Fleadh's main outdoor stage, the Gig Rig, is located outside Belfast City Hall and will offer free live performances every day. Organisers say the festival is designed to bring music into streets, venues and community spaces across the city, with the wider programme combining ticketed events, competitions and free performances.
As well as core events in the city centre, the fringe programme will feature more than 90 community events, with family-focused gatherings taking place in neighbourhood venues across Belfast.
How will the pedestrian zone work?
The biggest change for residents and visitors will be the creation of a large pedestrianised zone in Belfast city centre over the course of the festival. This is intended to ensure safe pedestrian movement and allow performances and activities to take place.
The city centre zone will be pedestrianised with road closures from 5:00 BST on Sunday, and the yellow shaded area in the map above will be closed to traffic.
The roads around City Hall in blue will be open some of the time, closing on a phased basis as necessary.
Main routes across the wider city will remain open, but motorists are being asked to check routes in advance.
One of the aims of the pedestrian zone is to make it easier for people to move between stages, street performances and city-centre venues during the festival. Organisers say the layout should also help support the scale of the crowds expected in the city over the week.
How have businesses been preparing?
Businesses have been gearing up for a busy week, especially in the hospitality industry, as Belfast prepares for the Fleadh.
Michelle Downey from the Downey Group said businesses have been working to get ready for the big week.
Fleadh fever has arrived in Belfastshe said.
We are planning for St Patrick's Day every day for eight days, so if that happens it will be fantastic.
John Lavery of Fish City said you could feel the excitement in the air and that there was a vibrancy in Belfast.
He said he had put substantial investment in place, and had spent tens of thousands of pounds getting ready for this.
Emily Sparling, of Peter Keegan's Bar in Belfast, echoed his words, saying her business has invested £60,000 and hired extra staff across the board for the event.
We are expecting a very big week, everyone is buzzing, can't wait.
Dominic Lavery from Lavery's Bar said that planning for the event had taken five or six months.
From Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday hopefully it will feel like your normal Saturday night, and from then on it's going to be like Paddy's day on steroids for the duration.
Business owners said the festival had already created a noticeable buzz in the city centre, with pubs, restaurants and shops expecting a significant rise in trade as crowds move through the pedestrianised area.
What public transport will be available?
Belfast City Council and Translink are urging people to plan ahead and leave extra time for journeys to and from the city. Road closures and diversions came into effect at 05:00 BST on Sunday and will remain in place until 07:00 BST on Monday 10 August.
No parking or waiting restrictions will make driving through the city centre and its vicinity difficult, even for drop-offs. A full list of road closures can be seen on the council's website.
Anyone travelling from outside the city is encouraged to use public transport and plan in advance using the Translink website.
A free shuttle bus will operate from three Fleadh park and ride sites at the Eikon Exhibition Centre at Sprucefield, Giant's Park and Belfast Harbour Estate.
All Metro, Glider, Ulsterbus and train services will operate throughout the event, but there will be temporary alterations to some bus stops and pick-up points around City Hall.
Additional late-night bus and rail services will be in place on Sunday, and again from Thursday to Sunday. Translink is running special day return bus services from towns and cities across Northern Ireland, and these are available to pre-book online.
Taxi services will continue to operate throughout the festival.
Dedicated pick-up and drop-off locations will be located around the edge of the pedestrianised event zone, at Corporation Street, Little Donegall Street, junction of North Street and Royal Avenue, King Street, Adelaide Street and Chichester Street.
A fully accessible city-centre loop shuttle service will operate throughout the festival for people with accessibility requirements or those carrying heavy instruments.
Visitors travelling from the Republic of Ireland can access Belfast via hourly cross-border coach services from Dublin city centre and Dublin Airport, or hourly train services between Dublin Connolly and Belfast Grand Central Station.
The transport arrangements are intended to keep the city moving while large numbers of festivalgoers travel in and around the centre over the coming days.
Why is Irish language featured so prominently?
The Irish language will form an important part of the visitor experience at the Fleadh.
A dedicated Irish Language Hub at The Mac will include free taster classes, arts and crafts workshops, circus skills, family entertainment and a dedicated family room throughout the week.
Bilingual signage, visitor information, festival dressing and other temporary infrastructure will help people navigate venues, attractions and event facilities.
Alongside activity at the Irish Language Hub, the wider festival programme will also include events celebrating Ulster-Scots language and traditions, including an Ulster Bands Showcase.
The programme is designed to reflect both the scale of the event and the range of cultural traditions represented at the festival, with organisers highlighting Irish-language and broader heritage activities alongside the music performances.
Details of all Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann events can be found here.
Key Facts
- Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is being held in Belfast for the first time.
- The festival runs from 2 to 9 August and features more than 200 events.
- Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to attend.
- The main outdoor stage, the Gig Rig, is outside Belfast City Hall and offers free performances daily.
- Road closures and diversions began at 05:00 BST on Sunday and remain in place until 07:00 BST on Monday 10 August.
