Belfast is pulling out all the stops in its bid for the Fleadh Cheoil 2026, elected representatives at City Hall have heard.
Belfast City Council officials gave an update on Belfast’s bid for the 2026 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann at a recent committee meeting, and stressed they were jumping through all the hoops necessary to try and overcome the disappointments of recent years to produce the city’s first successful bid.
Part of the bid will involve the Belfast Lord Mayor, Belfast Council Chief Executive and a senior council official travelling to the United States to attend an Irish cultural convention next April.
One of the biggest festivals of traditional Irish culture in the world, the Fleadh Cheoil attracts many tens of thousands of international visitors. In its 60 year history the festival has only been held once in Northern Ireland, in Derry.
Last year Belfast was yet again unsuccessful in its bid for the Fleadh Cheoil, losing out to Wexford for the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2024. The year before Belfast lost out to Mullingar in County Westmeath.
In the council report for the last bid, officials noted that failings of the Belfast bid included not using enough Irish language in the submission, not engaging enough with voting members and attending enough fleadhs, and insufficient disabled access.
The latest bid by Belfast City Council is in conjunction with Ards Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, a cross-community non profit organisation promoting and fostering Irish traditional music, song and dance in the Ards area.
A report for the council’s People and Communities Committee this month states: “Council in partnership with Ards CCE continues to bid for the 2026 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Our latest revision of the “Bid Book” was delivered to Comhaltas HQ to meet the August 30 deadline for the 2026 iteration of the event, with an announcement expected during early March 2025.
“The Lord Mayor, Chief Executive and senior BCC officials attended the recent Fleadh Cheoil in Wexford from August 7 to 9 to participate in a series of engagement, networking and lobbying events with members of Ards CCE, raising the profile of the Belfast bid.”
It adds: “Additionally, the events team attended an operational “Familiarisation Day” visit with internal and external colleagues on August 9 to further consolidate operational learnings within a new ground footprint context in Wexford. This included observing campsites, visitor servicing, security, ancillary and volunteer provision.
“The events team have previously attended the two consecutive years of the event in Mullingar to scope operational requirements and have met with Sligo representatives, a previous host of Fleadh Cheoil.”
It states: “Learnings have been considerable and this will further be consolidated by a follow-up session with members of the Wexford FEC scheduled for October 4. It is anticipated that this familiarisation will be further developed for next year, with invitations extended out, and a more close shadowing role likely with members of the Wexford FEC.
“Moving forward, it is anticipated that members of the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann will visit Belfast in the coming weeks, ahead of the final decision of the host city for 2025.”
The report states work was “currently being expedited to secure additional staff resources ASAP.” Last month the Lord Mayor hosted Ards CCE in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour to celebrate their recent success of four All Ireland medals at the recent Fleadh Cheoil in Wexford.
The latest report refers to Belfast attendance at the USA Comhaltas Convention in April 2025. It states: “This is an important date in the Comhaltas calendar in terms of US votes and connecting with diaspora markets, which will play a key role in securing visitors to Belfast for future event iterations.
“Under the conditions of the current in-year funding agreement with Ards CCE, the branch is responsible for making its own travel and accommodation arrangements. This includes the US Convention at the beginning of April 2025.
“To facilitate the early booking of flights and accommodation and ensure value for money, approval is sought to part release some of next year’s Ards CCE annual funding agreement early and within the financial year 2024/25, circa £25,000.
“This is subject to drawn-down and satisfactory verification of the current year Funding Agreement before release of any additional monies. As per the last two years, it is proposed that Ards CCE will attend with the Lord Mayor, Chief Executive and a senior council official.”
Full costs for attending the US event next year have not been made public yet. The report states: “Attendance at US Comhaltas Convention 2025 by Ards CCE will be forward funded from part release of next year’s Ards CCE annual funding agreement.”
In January 2023 the Belfast bid for the 2024 Fleadh Cheoil became a divisive issue at City Hall after a councillor tried to stop a £20,000 trip for council staff members and musicians travelling to the USA in relation to the bid.
At the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, former People Before Profit Councillor Fiona Ferguson failed in an attempt to stop senior staff members from attending an event in New York in February 2024 to discuss the bid with US Comhaltas vote holders as part of the US Tourism Ireland Showcase schedule.
She said at the time: “ I don’t think the public would see this as anything other than a junket for four people to be sent over to the US.”