- Belfast City Council granted entertainment licences and extensions for the Fleadh.
- The event is expected to bring more than 800,000 people to Belfast from 2 to 9 August.
- Around 100 businesses received street trading licences.
- Translink will run late night services on the busiest days.
- A fringe festival of over 90 events will take place in neighbourhoods.
Belfast City Council’s Special Licensing Committee has granted a number of entertainment licences and extensions to existing licences to premises in the city centre for the 2026 Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. The event is expected to bring more than 800,000 people into the city from 2 to 9 August, with over 200 events on offer. The council has approved temporary pavement café licences for businesses including Neighbourhood Café and Bakarí bakery in Donegall Street.
Around 100 businesses will be able to sell products through street trading applications, with 60 inside the pedestrianised event zone at High Street, Bridge Street and Royal Avenue, and a further 40 outside the scheme. Translink will run late night services on 2 August and from 6 to 9 August. Shuttle buses from Grand Central Station and Laganside Bus Station to Park and Ride sites will continue until 2am on the busiest days.
Councillor Conor McKay, Deputy Chair of the Licensing Committee, stated the Fleadh will be the biggest event the city has ever hosted. Taxis will operate around the perimeter of the pedestrian event zone with designated pick-up and drop-off points. A fringe festival of over 90 events will take action out into local neighbourhoods.
Councillor Conor McKay shared, “The Fleadh will be the biggest event that our city has ever hosted and attracting events of this calibre helps to support jobs, showcase the city internationally and back our local business community.”
