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music · Wednesday 5 August 2026 · 7:00pm 
Ryan McMullan - Fleadh 2026 at Empire Music Hall
At The Belfast Empire Music Hall · 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim
At The Belfast Empire Music Hall · 42 Botanic Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Ryan McMullan performing under the vaulted roof of the Belfast Empire is already a good night out. Ryan McMullan performing with some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians during Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann week is something else entirely. These two special concerts place his writing - known for its emotional directness and vocal range - inside the living pulse of Irish trad, and the result is not folk-by-numbers but a genuine crossover that rewards listeners who follow either tradition. The 5 August show sold out fast enough that a second night was added; if you missed the first, tickets for 6 August are on sale at £31.50.
The Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann runs across Belfast from 2 to 9 August 2026, drawing an expected 800,000 visitors for eight days of competitions, street sessions, pub music, and headline concerts. The Ryan McMullan shows at the Empire sit within that wider programme as curated ticketed events - a chance to hear what happens when a Derry-born singer-songwriter who trades in big emotional moments hands his songs to traditional players and lets them breathe differently.
The Belfast Empire Music Hall occupies a former church on Botanic Avenue, and the tall room carries sound well. It holds a few hundred people at standing, with a balcony above, so there is no bad spot. The show is over-18s only. Doors are at 7pm; plan to arrive a little before that if you want space at the bar before the music starts.
The Empire is on Botanic Avenue in south Belfast, a short walk from Queen’s University. From Belfast City Centre, Botanic rail halt is served from Great Victoria Street and Lanyon Place stations - a five-minute trip followed by a two-minute walk. Alternatively, Metro buses on the number 8 route (8A, 8B, 8C) run from the city centre along the Botanic corridor. If you are driving in, street parking is available in the surrounding residential streets though it fills early on event nights; the Park and Ride services operating for the Fleadh week may be a practical alternative.
The Fleadh week means the city itself will be louder and more alive than usual - free sessions spill out of pubs along the Cathedral Quarter and across the city centre, so the evening does not have to start or end at the Empire. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to The Belfast Empire Music Hall in Belfast? Antrim has plenty more to see. Read the Belfast area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.