Belfast Fleadh on 3 August: Free shows and £15 finale
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann fills venues across Belfast City Centre today, Monday 3 August 2026, with activities scheduled from 10am until 11pm. Many events are free, while ticketed options range from £5 to £15. The programme is open to the general public and includes traditional music, dance, crafts and storytelling for families.
Belfast City Council says more than 800,000 visitors are expected over the festival week. City Hall is the focus for live outdoor performances, but Monday’s programme also reaches The MAC, Waterfront Hall, Belfast Met, libraries and community venues. Readers planning more than one day can consult this festival-wide Belfast Fleadh guide.
From 10am crafts to a 9pm City Hall headliner
| Time | Event details |
|---|---|
| 10am | Scéal sa Spéir crafts and storytelling outside 2 Royal Avenue; free, with another session at 1pm |
| 10am–5.30pm | Instrument Makers’ Village at Belfast Met’s Millfield Campus; open daily until Sunday |
| 11am | Free Rock Choir performance at UNTOLD, 28 Bedford Street |
| 12 noon | City Hall Gig Rig programme begins with Innova Irish Dance |
| 12 noon–2pm | Free Children’s Trad Trail at Native, Queen’s Quay |
| 2pm | Free Comhaltas Gradam Inclusion Awards at The MAC |
| 8pm | Ards Comhaltas 50th-anniversary celebration at Waterfront Hall; tickets £15 |
| 9pm | Auris–Luke Savage headlines the City Hall stage |
The City Hall programme also includes the Aisling School of Irish Dance, Flute Church Band Portadown, Ronan McEvoy and Filidh. The 9pm headline set brings bass, saxophone and electric guitar into traditional jigs and reels.
At Waterfront Hall, the relocated 50th-anniversary celebration for Ards Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann features The Priests and other traditional performers. A Sets Céilí with the Duntally Céilí Band begins at the Europa at 8pm and costs £13.
Free sessions give families several drop-in options
Children’s daily seisiúns run outside 2 Royal Avenue from 3pm to 5pm. Other free choices include bodhrán art at Falls Library from 10.30am, the Echoes of Erin School of Irish Dance at Victoria Square from noon to 4pm and Lenadoon Community Festival’s family fun day from 1pm to 4pm.
The Irish-language hub at The MAC has activities for beginners and fluent speakers. At Belfast Met, visitors can meet makers of harps, violins and banjos in the Instrument Makers’ Village.
Some free events require advance booking through Eventbrite, including live music by Sarah Ann Rée and Paddy McKeown at Lisburn Road Library and Bróna McVittie’s Art of Lament session at Falls Road Library. Other listed activities are free and drop-in, while the Neuroscience of the Harper’s Brain talk costs £10 and Mary Anne’s Poor House Tales self-guided tour costs £5.
Pedestrianisation changes the journey into Belfast
Public transport is the recommended way to reach the festival because much of Belfast City Centre is pedestrianised. Main routes across the wider city remain open, but motorists should check their route, expect additional travel time and avoid stopping around the festival-zone perimeter.
Roads around City Hall, Donegall Square North and South, Wellington Place and Chichester Street remain in use for public transport. Visitors should use pedestrian crossings and follow event stewards in these areas.
Park & Ride shuttles operate every 10 to 15 minutes at peak periods. One connects the Eikon Exhibition Centre with Grand Central Station, while another runs from Giant’s Park and Belfast Harbour Estate to Laganside Bus Centre. Spaces can be reserved through the RingGo app or paid for on the day using contactless machines, subject to first-come, first-served availability.
Accessible parking, toilets and a city loop bus
Blue Badge parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at Dunbar Street, outside Common Market, and at Winetavern Street/Smithfield. A free city-centre loop bus serves people with mobility needs and visitors carrying large instruments, costumes or equipment.
The drop-in Accessibility Hub at CastleCourt Shopping Centre, Unit 59 on the first floor, operates from 11am to 7pm. Accessible portable toilets are provided at City Hall, Fountain Lane, Hill Street and Verner Street, while a mobile Accessoloo changing facility is positioned behind 2 Royal Avenue on Bank Square.
Before travelling, visitors should check the latest service information through Translink’s Fleadh pages or Journey Planner app; programme updates are also issued through the Fleadh Cheoil social channels.
Source: Belfast City Council
Context & actions About this article
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This guide was compiled from Belfast City Council’s event notice for the second day of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.
- Confirmed the event date, city-centre setting and listed operating times.
- Separated free activities from events carrying £5, £10, £13 or £15 charges.
- Checked Park & Ride, pedestrianisation and accessible transport details against the counci...
- Retained booking requirements only where Eventbrite or RingGo was specified.
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- Belfast City Council
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- Belfast
- Updated
- 2026-08-03 11:38
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