Tourism NI welcomes “wonderful” Fleadh Cheoil 2026 news

The world’s largest annual festival of Irish music, song, dance, and competitions will take place in the city between August 2 and 9, 2026.

Belfast City Council and the Ards branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) led on the submission of the bid and there was celebrations at city hall yesterday when Belfast was officially named host city.

It is estimated that the Fleadh will attract around £60 million in economic benefit for Northern Ireland with upwards of 650,000 visitors expected for the event.

When the Fleadh was last hosted in the North, in Derry in 2013, it attracted 400,000 attendees, 40% of which were from outside the north, with an estimated economic impact of £21.5m.

Since then, the number of visitors has increased dramatically with 500,000 visitors in 2022, 600,000 in 2023 and 650,000 in 2024.

As well as the significant economic benefit, there are also long-term legacy benefits of bringing the Fleadh to Belfast.

These include inspiring and nurturing the next generation of musicians, enhancing the region's cultural identity, providing community cohesion opportunities, enhancing accessibility and diversity, skills development and international relations.

Aine Kearney, Director of Events at Tourism Northern Ireland, said: “Belfast being announced as the host of next year’s Fleadh Cheoil is wonderful news for the whole of Northern Ireland.

“This event will bring fantastic opportunities for our tourism industry here as the combination of the number of visitors and the extensive fringe events mean the benefits will be felt across the region, not just in Belfast.

“Regional balance is one of the Economy Minister’s key visions in the recently launched 10-year Tourism Vision and Action Plan. The plan also aims to grow the value of tourism in Northern Ireland to 1.2 billion in the next 10 years. The Fleadh will play a significant role in this.

“There is no doubt the event will greatly enhance Northern Ireland’s attractiveness to local, national, and international visitors, helping us drive tourism’s positive impact on the local and regional economy.

“We look forward to working with Belfast City Council to develop the plans for Fleadh Cheoil."