Bodhran beats on Belfast streets signals TradFest time

Belfast TradFest is an authentic celebration of Irish music and culture in a week-long party that welcomes the world to the city.

Belfast TradFest, Sunflower Public House, Belfast. 

Belfast, UNESCO City of Music, will live up to its name this summer when Belfast TradFest (27 July to 3 August) returns with a rousing programme of top-name concerts, expert-led masterclasses and spirited pub sessions.

The city has a dynamic traditional music scene, including Ireland’s fastest-growing summer school, and is gearing up to host the 2026 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann — the world’s biggest festival of Irish music and culture. Belfast TradFest  is the perfect opportunity to soak up Belfast’s vibrant trad scene in a more intimate setting — ahead of the landmark Fleadh Cheoil celebrations in 2026.

With concerts featuring trad superstars such as Dervish, NOTIFY and Matt Molloy, together with artists like Goitse and Moxie who are bringing a next-generation twist to trad music, Belfast TradFest will deliver an exciting and unique performance lineup.

Belfast TradFest

Musicians keen to level up their skills can sign up for masterclasses spanning 20 traditional instruments and delivered by internationally renowned performers. Classes on sean nós singing and dancing will introduce people to this age-old Irish style of expression, while set dancing classes will teach everything you need to be ready for the grand Titanic céilí (Irish community dancing) that usually forms part of the festivity.

Across the city, in pubs, venues and in the streets, the stirring rhythms of fiddles, bodhráns and uilleann pipes will create a lively soundscape and a warm and friendly party atmosphere.

Travellers to Belfast for the festival will find a wide range of great accommodation options, with new and extended hotels added to the mix.

Harrison Chambers of Distinction

The  Harrison Chambers of Distinction, a bohemian boutique hotel in the city’s University Quarter, has added 11 exquisite suites, a residents’ piano bar and a supper club. The hotel is in a lovingly restored 1879 merchant’s residence which retains its intricate period detailing and is a captivating blend of elegance, heritage and playful mischief. Each of The Harrison’s rooms is inspired by a globally renowned figure with a connection to Belfast such as CS Lewis, Samuel Beckett, JB Yeats, Seamus Heaney and Lord Kelvin.

For travellers on a budget,  The Moxy Hotel, opening 28 July, will be a trendy bolt hole in Belfast’s buzzing Cathedral Quarter. With its signature playful spaces and bold design, the hotel will be a great base for exploring the city in between enjoying TradFest events.

Belfast TradFest attracts seasoned musicians and curious newcomers, all drawn by the enduring pull of Irish music and culture and the joy to be found in playing, dancing, or listening to age-old tunes that connect people to the past and celebrate the present.

It’s a great reason to visit Belfast and experience all that this vibrant city has to offer.