I have been attending Belfast TradFest for the past few years, both as an attendee and as a volunteer, it’s safe to say Belfast comes alive in a really amazing way…
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Louth native Donal O’Connor, the artistic director of Belfast TradFest, comes from traditional music royalty…
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“The energy that TradFest brings to the city when you see young, and not so young, people walking the streets with instruments on their backs…”
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Ronán Eastwood, set dance master, on his perfect weekend…
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We are deeply grateful to our 2025 bursary sponsors, whose incredible generosity made it possible for…
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What do the Tardis, The Radio Times and the Belfast TradFest programme have in common?
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My love affair with traditional music, and the uilleann pipes in particular, continues. Like all relationships, it’s had many highs and a good few lows…
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“Aye we’ve 5 seasons in East Belfast” I explained to a tourist who’d come here for the Hearth session: “Summer, winter, autumn, spring…and the Marching Season.”…
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“Sing us a wee song Jack, would ye?” I asked Jack Warnock, a fantastic young traditional musician who’d joined us for the Hearth session. “No problem, what were you thinking?” …
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“That was a wee moment in history David!” said my mate. “You’re gonna have to start charging an entry fee!” said another. I was both delighted and emotional…
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“That was brilliant David!” said my mate Phil Hart (who’s a fantastic finger picking guitarist). I’m not a proper singer, but I’d just got up and sung “Will ye go lassie go?”…
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I’d plucked up the courage to step into the Garrick with my pipes on a bustling Friday evening. The Garrick’s a wonderful old Belfast bar with a great reputation for serious, quality, high-end trad…
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Traditional music has also always been one of my great loves, but I only started trying to play it relatively recently. I made the mistake of falling in love a while ago with the uilleann pipes and I’m still trying to wrestle them to the ground…
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When we started The Hearth session in October ‘23, I wasn’t sure how it would go. Turns out, it’s landed well: 10-20 musicians…
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At Belfast TradFest, we’re committed to sustainability and reducing our environmental impact. Last summer, we donated…
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Even as a beginner, the supportive atmosphere made it feel like we were all part of something bigger - keeping the tradition alive…
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I started learning the fiddle 5 years ago and have been attending the Belfast TradFest for the past 3 years. As someone who is relatively fresh to the traditional music world…
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Are you struggling to find the perfect gift for your loved one? Do they enjoy traditional music? 8 ideas to help guide you…
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This trip has been rewarding in every sense. In Belfast, music was everywhere...we opened our hearts to the most welcoming…
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I've been attending Belfast TradFest for many years, immersing myself in everything from masterclasses and sessions to céilís and concerts. This year, for the first time…
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