The Gig Rig – the beating heart of the Fleadh
Free. No ticket or booking required.
The Fleadh’s main outdoor stage will be located outside Belfast City Hall. With an impressive mix of big-name acts and emerging talent, the Gig Rig offers free live performances from 11am to 11pm each day. Discover a space where tradition meets innovation, communities come together, and music fills the city from morning to night.
Sunday 2 August – Opening Event
The opening event will strike a powerful first chord thanks to a special collaborative showcase that brings together Ards CCÉ, Belfast Bands Forum and South Asian Dance Academy. The ‘Shared Traditions’ performance will present a dazzling blend of music, dance and cultures, alongside a 100‑strong local school choir and champion Irish dancers led by Riverdance’s Lauren Smyth. The energy will surge further into the evening with electrifying performances from Goitse, Blackwater Céilí Band and legendary accordion virtuoso Sharon Shannon and her Big Band.
Other major groups and ensembles performing on the Gig Rig include:
Wednesday 5 August from 7pm
Two boundary‑pushing quartets, Tempest Ceol and NxNW take the reins from mid-week. Both offer a sound that is bold, fluid and fiercely contemporary, reshaping familiar tunes into something that feels both rooted and thrillingly new. Expect energetic arrangements and musicians who are masters of their craft.
Thursday 6 August from 7pm
Donegal’s all-female supergroup, Sí Fiddlers will create the power of 13 fiddles moving as one, with talent stretching from Glencolumcille to Inishowen and everywhere in between. Equally skilled is acclaimed uilleann piper Conor Mallon from Keady, who will captivate crowds with his extraordinary skill alongside his band members.
Friday 7 August from 7pm
As the weekend settles over the city, Scottish ensemble TRIP will ignite the stage with their dynamic, cross‑genre sound, born in Glasgow’s vibrant trad scene and sharpened by fearless innovation. They’ll be joined by Irish heavyweights Lúnasa, who have formed the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. Long hailed as the ‘Irish music dream team’, their influence has shaped the very landscape of trad.
Acclaimed Belfast composer Neil Martin will also direct a special multicultural music experience, ‘Connections’. A renowned uilleann piper and cellist who has collaborated with Christy Moore, The Dubliners and The Chieftains, Martin will lead this collaboration with ArtsEkta and a cast of 12 musicians and dancers, blending Irish traditional music with sounds from Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and beyond.
Saturday 8 August from 7pm
Saturday night fever opens with rising group Peter Street, an exciting new force in the world of traditional Irish music, blending youthful energy with exceptional talent whether it's lively reels or soulful ballads. The tempo surges further with Mec Lir as the quartet bring foot stomping beats to some classic trad tunes.
Sunday 9 August from 7pm – Closing Event
The closing event will see a range of impressive performances including from Bangor born singer‑songwriter Foy Vance. Signed to Ed Sheeran’s Gingerbread Man Records, Vance is famous for his gritty vocals, emotive songwriting, and acoustic-driven melodies. The finale event will also include a special performance from the newly crowned Senior Céilí Band Competition winners. Witness the passion, power, and unrivalled talent of the very best in traditional Irish music and dance.