![\"first-minister-michelle-oneill-second-from-left-deputy-first-minister-emma-little-pengelly-left-and-irish-president-catherine-connolly-right-at-fleadh-cheoil-na-heireann-2026-which-has-offici\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785710175_179_.jpeg\")
\n First Minister Michelle O’Neill (second from left), deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly (left) and President Catherine Connolly (right) at Fleadh Cheoil na h\u00c9ireann Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
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LAST UPDATE
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\n 8 hrs ago\n <\/p>\n
FLEADH CHEOIL NA H\u00c9IREANN 2026 is a celebration of the \u201cuniversality\u201d of music, President Catherine Connolly has said at its opening ceremony.<\/p>\n
Northern Ireland\u2019s First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill told the hundreds gathered outside City Hall that the Fleadh is for all \u201cwho calls this place home\u201d, while deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said \u201cculture need not divide us\u201d as she invited visitors \u201cto listen, to learn, and to discover\u201d.<\/p>\n
The festival was officially opened by Belfast mayor R\u00f3is-M\u00e1ire Donnelly, kicking off a week of song, dance and culture as part of the world\u2019s largest celebration of traditional Irish music.<\/p>\n
More than 200 events and 180 traditional music competitions are taking place in venues, pubs and streets, with 800,000 people expected to visit Belfast over the week-long celebration from 2-9 August.<\/p>\n
It is the first time the annual music festival has been held in Belfast and only the second time it has been held in the North, after being hosted in Derry in 2013.<\/p>\n
The 2026 event has been billed as one of the most culturally diverse in its history, with cross-community participation and a celebration of traditions from across Northern Ireland and beyond.<\/p>\n
\n First Minister Michelle O’Neill (second from left), deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly (left) and President Catherine Connolly (right) at Fleadh Cheoil na h\u00c9ireann Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n
The opening event included a special collaborative performance entitled Sharing Traditions from host branch Ards CC\u00c9, South Asian Dance Academy, Belfast Bands Forum, as well as an array of highland pipers and champion Irish dancers led by Riverdance lead Lauren Smyth.<\/p>\n
The multi-cultural performance took place at the Gig Rig set up outside City Hall, where musicians and dancers will play from 11am to 11pm every day of the week.<\/p>\n
The outdoor stage also saw performances from more than 100 children from primary and secondary schools across North Down and Belfast.<\/p>\n
Connolly praised the opening ceremony, saying it brought together \u201cmusicians and dancers from different traditions\u201d.<\/p>\n
![\"irish-dancers-from-the-reilly-school-of-dancing-belfast-performing-at-fleadh-cheoil-na-heireann-2026-which-has-officially-opened-in-belfast-kicking-off-a-week-of-song-dance-and-culture-as-part-of-th\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785710176_622_.jpeg\")
\n Irish dancers from the Reilly School of Dancing Belfast performing at Fleadh Cheoil na h\u00c9ireann 2026 Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish the Fleadh every success over the coming days, and indeed, what lies ahead is the celebration of what we all have in common, and the universality of music, sound, and dance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019s that universality and that sharing that we celebrate over the coming week.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill said the Fleadh \u201cbelongs to each and every one of us who calls this place home\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is our Fleadh and we celebrate our tradition together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is strength in our culture, and I think that\u2019s the magic of our culture also.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt brings people together. It gives us a sense of who we are and also where we come from.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom as far back as 1792, in the Belfast Harp Festival, Belfast has been a city of music, creativity, and storytelling, and this week gives us the opportunity to showcase all of that to the wider world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sinn F\u00e9in vice-president added: \u201cI think the true value of Fleadh goes beyond this.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about the welcome the people will receive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about showcasing the richness, the diversity, and the talent and the culture of this city.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about showing the world that we are proud of our heritage and we are confident in our future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little-Pengelly said Belfast would be \u201cfilled with music, words, poetry, and companionship\u201d.<\/p>\n
The DUP MLA spoke about her constituency of Lagan Valley, referring to it in a number of languages including Irish and Ulster Scots.<\/p>\n
\u201cA city is its people, and for all of our complexities, we are strong, resilient, curious and contrary,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cComplex, yes, but deeply proud of all of our cultural traditions, our music and our poetry.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt tells a story of who we have been and who we are, and it reminds us that we are all deeply connected.<\/p>\n
\u201cConfidence in who we are gives us the freedom to celebrate the richness of others.<\/p>\n
\u201cCulture need not divide us.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt its best, it invites us to listen, to learn, and to discover.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"performers-at-fleadh-cheoil-na-heireann-2026-which-has-officially-opened-in-belfast-kicking-off-a-week-of-song-dance-and-culture-as-part-of-the-worlds-largest-celebration-of-traditional-irish-music\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785710177_324_.jpeg\")
\n Performers at Fleadh Cheoil na h\u00c9ireann 2026, which has officially opened in Belfast kicking off a week of song, dance and culture Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n
Alamy Stock Photo\n<\/p>\n
She concluded her speech saying: \u201cMay every visitor to this city leave with a wee bit of Belfast in their heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay the music and memory linger long after the performances end, and may we always have the confidence to celebrate every tradition that enriches our shared home, knowing that respecting another\u2019s culture never diminishes our own, but it strengthens the place we all call home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also in attendance were PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant.<\/p>\n
Musicians and dancers from across the world flock to the host city to compete in the All-Ireland Fleadh music competition, with hopefuls from Ireland qualifying from county and provincial Fleadhs to earn their place.<\/p>\n
But many others come for music workshops as well as open music sessions that will emerge in a variety of venues and spaces across the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LAST UPDATE | 8 hrs ago FLEADH CHEOIL NA H\u00c9IREANN 2026 is a celebration of the \u201cuniversality\u201d of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":617261,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[75],"tags":[663,87060,18,117,260617,19,17,138647,954],"class_list":["post-617260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-belfast","tag-celebration","tag-eire","tag-entertainment","tag-fleadh","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-irish-music","tag-northern-ireland"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/617261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}