The 6th annual Belfast TradFest, Northern Ireland’s premier traditional music, song, and dance festival, is in full swing. Continuing until this Sunday 28th July, there are sessions, concerts, album launches, book launches, talks, céilís, and much more to enjoy.
Today is the final day of the Belfast Summer School of Traditional Music which concludes with the annual Tutor and Student Concert in the breathtaking Belfast Cathedral.
Dunville’s Irish Whiskey Session Trail continues until late Sunday. All sessions are ‘Céilí House’ style listening sessions, which are two hours long and free to attend. The master musicians set the scene for the session in the first hour, then invite the ‘room’ to join in -offering aspiring musicians an opportunity to listen to and observe music played by musicians of the highest calibre.
Not-to-be-missed headline concerts this weekend include JIGGY with Tara Breen, Jim Murray, and Pádraig Rynne, Cherish the Ladies, BIIRD and Pólca 4.
The Festival Club hosts a SuperCéilí Saturday night. SuperCéilí mixes traditional tunes with electronic and pop dance hits to create the ultimate Irish dance party. The live show pushes boundaries by creatively combining innovative repertoire and cutting-edge technology. A synchronised visual show and a powerful stage presence further enhance a spectacle which has introduced many firsts in Irish music: digital instruments, fog bubbles, laser animations, live digital orchestras, and lots more.
Artistic Director of Belfast TradFest Dónal O’Connor says “The 6th edition of Belfast TradFest is our most successful festival yet, with 370 events in 30 venues throughout Belfast UNESCO city of music. We are delighted to welcome visitors from all over the world to our summer school of traditional music which is delivered in partnership with Ulster University. TradFest celebrates the very best of traditional music, song & dance and is a great opportunity to make new friends, meet up with old acquaintances, and to reflect the strength of the tradition in this corner of Ireland”
He adds “The strength of Belfast’s musical heritage and the importance of music, in its past, and to its future, secured it a designation as a UNESCO City of Music in 2021. It’s the first city on the island of Ireland to be given the honour and Belfast is vibrating to the pulse of the tradition. Many of the concerts are sold out however we look forward to this weekend’s packed programme which features performances from Jiggy, Pádraig Rynne, Tara Breen, Jim Murray, Biird, Pólca 4 & Cherish the Ladies, with tickets still available”
For more information on Belfast TradFest 2024, visit www.belfasttradfest.com
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