UK Pipe Band Competition 2026 in Belfast: 70 top bands and 13 times World Champions Field Marshal Montgomery
Seventy of the top Pipe Bands in the British Isles will provide a must-see festival of energy, colour and sound when they return to Belfast for the UK Pipe Band Competition on Saturday 13 June.
Also appearing is 13 times World Champions Field Marshal Montgomery at the Grove Playing Fields in North Belfast, with all 70 bands fighting for top spot in their grade.
The event makes a welcome return to Belfast through a partnership between the Ulster-Scots Agency and the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, the governing body of world piping, with funding support from Belfast City Council.
Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Chief Executive, Colin Mulhern, said: “The Championships remain a flagship event for the global piping, drumming and drum major community and a must-see occasion for audiences. The energy, colour and sound of the United Kingdom Championships—culminating in the dramatic finale—create an experience that stays with you long after the final note."
Belfast Lord Mayor Tracy Kelly said: "I'm delighted that Belfast City Council has been able to support the Ulster-Scots Agency to bring this fantastic event to our city.
"I'm a huge fan of pipe bands and love taking part in the Belfast Tartan Day parade and I know that the bands who are coming here from all over the UK and beyond will receive a really warm welcome and hope that they will enjoy everything that our city has to offer." Ulster-Scots Agency Chief Executive Ian Crozier said that securing the UK Pipe Band Championships for Belfast provides “a great opportunity for our brilliant local bands and drum majors to perform on home soil and for local people to see the very best Ulster-Scots musical talent competing against the top Scottish and Irish bands”. As well as musical competitions with adult and juvenile bands there will be competitions for drum majors of all ages and a wide range of activities for the whole family, including a mini Highland Games, kids’ workshops, craft stalls, food village and a whole lot more. Tickets are on sale via Eventbrite, priced at £10 for individuals or £25 for a family of two adults and two children.