One of the world’s biggest music festivals is coming to the UK this year

Get your flutes and fiddles out, start practicing your sean nós and lilting – the world’s greatest festival of Irish music is being held in the UK this summer. And it’s one of the things that Time Out is most looking forward to in 2026. Here’s why. 

The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (or the Fleadh, pronounced ‘flah’ for short) is the biggest celebration of Irish music, song and dance on the planet. It was founded in 1951 by traditional musicians and proponents of Gaelic culture in 1951 and has grown to become one of the largest music festivals in all of Europe. 

In 2026, for the first time in the event’s 75-year history, it’s being held in Belfast (which happens to be Ireland’s only UNESCO City of Music). This will be only the second time that the festival been held in Northern Ireland, after Derry in 2013.  

A staggering 700,000 people are expected to descend on Belfast for the occasion, which will take place from August 2 to August 9. 

All sorts of events and activities are lined up for the huge knees-up, from pub seisiúns and marching bands to storytelling and ceili gatherings. There’ll also be over 150 competitions with around 5,000 participants from across the Emerald Isle showcasing traditional Irish performance arts. One organiser has described the event as ‘the Olympics of culture and friendship’. 

The festival’s famous outdoor stage Gig Rig will be set up outside Belfast City Hall to host free live traditional Irish music and entertainment from emerging talent throughout the week. While the festival’s full programme is still under wraps for now, we know that other venues will include Ulster Hall, the Waterfront Hall and the ICC.

If you want to be in Belfast for the Fleadh, let Time Out help you plan your itinerary with out guides to the city’s best restaurants and best things to do (when you’re not immersed in all that live music, of course). 

📍 The best new things to do in the UK in 2026.

Find out why this Midlands city is one of the UK’s best places to visit in 2026. 

Plus: One of Northern Ireland’s greatest museums is getting a £50 million revamp. 

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