BELFAST TURNS UP THE VOLUME WITH ST PATRICK’S MUSIC FESTIVAL 13TH – 17TH MARCH
Belfast St Patrick’s Music Festival returns 13–17 March with five days of concerts, workshops, dance, pipe bands and a FREE Festival Village in the Cathedral Quarter in Belfast UNESCO City of Music
At the heart of the festival is a diverse, cross-cultural celebration of traditional arts in honour of St Patrick. Across five days, audiences can enjoy headline concerts, relaxed workshops, the uplifting sound of pipe bands, the fun and grace of set and céilí dancing, reflective pilgrimages, and a welcoming FREE St Patrick’s Day Festival Village in the Cathedral Quarter—inviting everyone into the city for an inspiring mix of indoor and outdoor events.
A stellar line-up confirmed includes Dougie MacLean (the legendary voice behind Caledonia), Tyrone fiddle wizards The Bow Brothers, RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Singer of the Year Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh’s new highly acclaimed band, the legendary Andy Irvine (Planxty), Manchester flute legend Michael McGoldrick with Cross Border Folk Orchestra, Brian Finnegan’s Hunger of the Skin band with special guests Heidi Talbot & Toby Shaers, Belfast harper Úrsula Burns, pipe bands, experimental Scottish smallpiper Brìghde Chaimbeul, celebrated harper and composer Michael Rooney, Conamara sean-nós dancer Becky Ní Éallaithe, uilleann piper Mick O’Brien, The Olllam’s Sean O’Meara on guitar, solo Highland piping competitions, family sessions, a trad picnic, and lots more.
Highlights include:
· Saturday 14 March – Dougie MacLean / Úrsula Burns in concert (Mandela Hall)
· Saturday 14 March – A major double bill: Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Band / Andy Irvine (Mandela Hall)
· Saturday 14 – Tuesday 17 March – A packed participation programme of workshops (The MAC), plus Highland piping competitions, set and céilí dancing, sessions, and two pilgrimage walks with Kiran Young Wimberly & Jim Deeds
· Sunday 15 March – Brian Finnegan’s Hunger of the Skin with special guests Heidi Talbot & Toby Shaer (Empire Music Hall)
· Sunday 15 March – Pipe Band Extravaganza at City Hall, featuring Campbell College Pipe Band, Clonoe Independent Pipe Band & Hollymount Pipe Band
· Sunday 15 March – Sets Céilí Concert in the Empire Music Hall with All-Ireland Champions The Beartla Ó Flatharta Céilí Band & Ronán Eastwood
· Monday 16 March – CD/EP Launch: Moya Sweeney & Archie Churchill-Moss – ‘From The Aa’ (Oh Yeah Music Centre)
· Monday 16 March – Trad Picnic with Cleamairí Feirste / Belfast Wren Boys, Kids Céilí with Eimear Magee, sean nós dance & Bodhrán Circle
· Monday 16 March – Michael McGoldrick Trio & Music Generation Cross Border Folk Orchestra (Ulster Hall)
· Tuesday 17 March (St Patrick’s Day) – St Patrick’s Night Concert: The Bow Brothers / Aoife Scott Band (The MAC)
There will also be a St Patrick’s Day Festival Villageat Cathedral Gardens and Saint Anne’s Square plus workshops, taster sessions and more. Look out for information coming soon when Belfast City Council announces the full line-up of activities.
Tickets & information:
Notes to Editors
Belfast TradFest is a leading celebration of traditional arts in Belfast, presenting concerts, participation, and community-led activity across the city and beyond.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S FOREWARD
We are delighted to welcome you to Belfast St Patrick’s Music Festival, where we once again weave together a vibrant tapestry of indoor and outdoor events in celebration of St Patrick’s enduring legacy, and, at its heart, a celebration of the traditional arts, culture and heritage that continue to shape Belfast today.
This festival is rooted in the belief that tradition is not something distant or fixed, but something living, carried through music, song, dance, language and community. Across the weekend, we invite people from every background and tradition to come together and experience the power of culture to connect us, to lift us, and to remind us of who we are.
Widely accepted as a common Christian saint and a patron of migrants, St Patrick’s story is deeply connected to this city. It is believed that he crossed the ford at the Farset River around 455 AD and made his way through what is now the Cathedral Quarter to establish the “Church of St Patrick of the White Ford”, later known as Shankill (Irish: Seanchill, meaning “Old Church”). In that journey we find a powerful reminder of the values that sit at the centre of this festival: welcome, movement, resilience, and shared identity.
At the heart of this year’s programme lies a rich thread of traditional culture and a cross-cultural celebration in honour of St Patrick. From headline concerts and intimate workshops to the uplifting sounds of pipe bands, the joyful energy of set and céilí dancing, reflective pilgrimages, and our welcoming FREE St Patrick’s Day Festival Village in the Cathedral Quarter, everyone is invited to Belfast to find their rhythm, their joy, and their sense of belonging.
This year’s highlights include performances from Andy Irvine, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Band, Brian Finnegan’s Hunger of the Skin with special guests Heidi Talbot & Toby Shaer, the Michael McGoldrick Trio with the Cross Border Youth Folk Orchestra, and a thrilling St Patrick’s Night double bill at The MAC featuring The Bow Brothers and the Aoife Scott Band.
A particularly special moment this year is the return of Dougie MacLean, bringing his timeless anthem Caledonia back to Belfast — where its journey began in 1977. Dougie will be joined by Belfast harper Úrsula Burns, granddaughter of the family in whose home the song was first performed in public — a rare and beautiful full-circle celebration of music, memory and place.
Whether you’re local or visiting, there’s a place for you in this festival.
Fáilte romhat.
Dónal O’Connor - Artistic Director