OUR STORY

A vision that became a movement

 
 

Belfast TradFest is a flagship celebration of traditional music, song and dance — an ambitious idea that grew into a world-class festival transforming the cultural life of Belfast. But before it became a globally recognised event drawing tens of thousands each year, TradFest began with a simple yet powerful vision.

In September 2014, Ray Morgan, Chairperson of the Glengormley School of Traditional Music, and traditional musician and producer Dónal O’Connor came together with a shared ambition: to create a major Traditional Music Summer School in Belfast - a city rich in musical heritage but without an event to match the established summer schools across Ireland. Recognising this gap and the potential it held, Ray and Dónal began developing the foundations of what would become a new and transformative chapter in Belfast’s cultural life.  

Throughout 2015 and early 2016, they engaged in extensive consultation with organisations, community groups, and cultural stakeholders across the city. The idea quickly gained momentum, and by April 2016 they had formally established a board of trustees, creating the Belfast Summer School of Traditional Music — a not-for-profit charity founded to address the significant lack of traditional music provision in Northern Ireland. 

 
 

 In December 2016, Patricia Murray joined the organisation, bringing essential experience in large scale event management, arts administration, governance and organisational development. Her arrival strengthened the charity’s strategic framework and operational capacity, helping to transform an emerging community initiative into a sustainable and ambitious cultural organisation. Patricia’s leadership played a key role in shaping the early delivery model and preparing the foundation for future expansion. 

 A pioneering feature of the project from the beginning was its inclusivity. For the first time, Highland pipers and pipe band drummers - musicians who often travelled to Scotland or the Republic of Ireland to compete - were welcomed into a traditional Irish music summer school. This cross-traditions ethos became a defining characteristic of the organisation. 

 The first Summer School was delivered in partnership with Ulster University in 2017, and in 2019, the organisation expanded into a full festival. 

Belfast TradFest was born. 

 
 

Festival Team

Dónal O’Connor

Artistic Director

Patricia Murray

Co-Director

Chloe McGregor

Marketing & Engagement Officer

Louise Harvey

Festival Assistant

Belfast TradFest Board

Ray Morgan

Chairman

Andy McGregor

Vice-Chair

Brendan Morgan

Treasurer

Goretti O’Connor

Secretary

Christine Dowling

Trustee

Ian Burrows

Trustee

Why We Exist 

At the time of our founding, hundreds of traditional musicians from Northern Ireland travelled annually to acclaimed summer schools such as the Willie Clancy Summer School and the South Sligo Summer School. These events attracted thousands of learners and enthusiasts from across the world — yet no equivalent programme existed in Northern Ireland. 

Belfast TradFest was created to change that. 

We set out to: 

  • Deliver Belfast’s first annual traditional music summer school and festival, rooted in artistic excellence and cultural connection. 

  • Bring world-renowned musicians to Belfast, offering high-quality tuition, masterclasses and performance opportunities. 

  • Foster meaningful interaction between cultural traditions, from Irish and Ulster-Scots to global folk communities. 

  • Make traditional arts accessible to everyone, especially people and families facing economic or social barriers. 

Our commitment to inclusion remains central to everything we do. Through bursaries, discounted rates, free events and outreach partnerships, we ensure that traditional music in Belfast is open to all — regardless of background, age or ability. 

Growing into a Cultural Powerhouse 

What began as a five-day summer school has evolved into a major international festival and year-round cultural organisation. Today, Belfast TradFest: 

  • Welcomes over 30,000 attendees annually 

  • Engages almost 1,000 Summer School participants from across Ireland and the world 

  • Generates £3.1 million (summer festival alone) in annual economic impact 

  • Consistently achieves 98% audience satisfaction

  • Contributes significantly to Belfast’s status as a UNESCO City of Music 

  • Produces St. Patrick’s celebrations, large-scale commissions and cross-cultural collaborations 

  • Provides 100+ annual bursaries, with a target of 180 by 2028 

By 2030, we aim to welcome 50,000 annual attendees, expand our bursary programme, strengthen international partnerships, and launch more pioneering initiatives. 

TITANIC CÉILÍ - July 2025

Patrick Davey & Etain Murphy - July 2025

What We Do Today 

Belfast TradFest delivers a vibrant programme across three interlinked areas: 

1. Producing World-Class Events 

Each July, Belfast becomes a citywide stage for hundreds of performances, workshops, céilís, sessions and outdoor spectacles. We also deliver St. Patrick’s celebrations, maritime festivals, community events and innovative cross-artform productions. 

2. Supporting Artists and the Next Generation 

We support hundreds of artists annually through performances, masterclasses, mentoring, commissions and residencies. Our Summer School provides world-class tuition and a platform for emerging talent, ensuring tradition thrives while encouraging new innovation. 

3. Connecting Communities 

Our outreach programmes bring the traditional arts into neighbourhoods across Belfast, offering accessible, inclusive opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. From cross-community workshops to neurodiverse-friendly family sessions, we use culture to foster connection, respect and shared pride. 

Our Place in the World 

While rooted in Belfast, our reach is international. 

In 2025, attendees travelled from 34 countries, and our online content reached 5 million people worldwide. We collaborate with festivals and cultural organisations across Europe, North America and beyond, placing Belfast firmly on the global traditional arts map. 

At home, we work with: 

  • Belfast City Council 

  • Arts Councils North and South 

  • Tourism NI 

  • Ulster University & Queen’s University 

  • Na Píobairí Uilleann, Harp Ireland & Music Generation 

  • Cultural venues, community organisations and festivals citywide 

These partnerships strengthen Belfast’s cultural ecosystem and ensure our work contributes meaningfully to the city’s social, economic and artistic life. 

Kinnaris Quintet - July 2025

A Festival That Changed Belfast 

Belfast TradFest has become more than an event — it is a cultural movement reshaping the artistic identity of the city.  

Highlights of our work to date include hosting the legendary Bothy Band for their first public Irish concert since 1979 — a landmark event that sold out the Waterfront Hall and attracted audiences from across the country. We brought 10,000 people together for a spectacular céilí on the iconic Titanic Slipways, creating one of the largest participatory traditional dance events ever staged in Belfast. Our Flutopia project travelled to Scoil Gheimhridh, celebrating the vibrancy and innovation at the heart of our flute tradition while championing the next generation of Belfast musicians, including Jude Scott, Piaras MacMaoláin and Etain Murphy. We are particularly proud of our pioneering work bringing high-quality traditional music concerts into the heart of East Belfast and beyond.  

Alongside celebrated Ulster greats such as Bríd Harper, Cara Dillon, Cathal Hayden, Mary Dillon, Neil Martin, Moya Brennan and Ríoghnach Connolly, we have consistently platformed a vibrant new wave of emerging talent — including Múlú, Jack Warnock, Róis, Niall Hanna, Megan Nic Fhionnghaile, Piaras Ó Lorcáin, Sinéad McKenna, Maeve O’Donnell and many others. By giving these artists vital visibility and meaningful performance opportunities, we have supported their artistic development and contributed to their growing influence on the wider musical landscape. 

These achievements, among many others, demonstrate our ongoing commitment to celebrating, elevating and expanding the reach of traditional music across the city. 

Press reaction

“TradFest — a festival that has put traditional music on the map in Belfast and made the city’s bid to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2026 credible and unstoppable.” 
— Belfast Media 

“Belfast TradFest programme contains more joy and happiness than a convention of Euromillion winners.” 
— The Irish News 

“Belfast TradFest is helping create a society more at peace with itself… it just happens by osmosis.” 
— Journal of Music 

“Belfast TradFest — top of the traditional music map.” 
— Shane Mitchell, Dervish 

“TradFest is raising the standards and proving that the city has the capacity to deliver the all-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in 2026.” 
— Stuart Bailie, Dig With It 

“This year, Belfast TradFest ’25 crossed the Rubicon from up-and-coming festival to unmissable… there is nothing like it anywhere else on the island.” 
— Lynette Fay, BBC & The Irish News 

 

The Bothy Band - February 2024

Maighread & Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill - July 2025

Our Mission 

From our beginnings in 2015 to our vision for 2030, our mission remains constant: 

**To celebrate tradition. 

To foster connection. 
To empower artists. 
To open doors for every community. 
To make Belfast a world capital of traditional music.** 

And we are only getting started.