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music · Sunday 2 August 2026 · 7:00pm 
Sharon Shannon Big Band - Fleadh Cheoil Opening Concert
At Belfast City Hall - Gig Rig · Donegall Square North, Belfast, Co. Antrim
At Belfast City Hall - Gig Rig · Donegall Square North, Belfast, Co. Antrim
The opening night of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026 is one of the biggest nights in the Irish traditional music calendar, and it lands in Belfast for the first time. Sharon Shannon and her Big Band headline the Gig Rig outside City Hall on Sunday 2 August, with award-winning group Goitse and former All-Ireland champions Blackwater Céilí Band also on the bill. Entry is completely free. This is the kind of evening that suits everyone from lifelong trad fans to families who just want to be part of something genuinely special - and the City Hall setting, right in the centre of Belfast, makes it easy for anyone visiting the city to turn up.
The Gig Rig is the main outdoor stage for the entire Fleadh week, positioned immediately outside Belfast City Hall on Donegall Square. On opening night it doubles as the setting for the opening ceremony, so the atmosphere runs well beyond a standard concert.
Sharon Shannon is one of the most widely loved figures in Irish traditional and folk music. The Clare-born button accordion and fiddle player has been a headline act at major festivals across Ireland and internationally for three decades. Her Big Band sets expand the trad sound outward - expect accordion, fiddle, brass and a full band energy that gets a crowd moving.
Goitse bring their own blend of traditional music and contemporary arrangement, having toured widely and taken home top prizes at All-Ireland level. Blackwater Céilí Band are former All-Ireland champions and know how to work a crowd for dancing.
Beyond the music, the opening ceremony includes a school choir of more than 100 children from primary and secondary schools across North Down and Belfast, a collaborative piece from Ards CCÉ, South Asian Dance Academy and Belfast Bands Forum, and champion Irish dancers led by Riverdance’s Lauren Smyth. The full Fleadh runs until 9 August, with free Gig Rig performances each day.
Belfast City Hall sits at Donegall Square North, right in the city centre and well served by public transport. Translink Metro buses serve Donegall Square from across Belfast and the surrounding area. Great Victoria Street bus and rail station is a ten-minute walk; Lanyon Place (formerly Central Station) is about fifteen minutes on foot. If you are coming from Dublin, the Enterprise train runs to Lanyon Place. For drivers, there is multi-storey parking at Castle Court on Royal Avenue and at the CastleCourt car park nearby - street parking in the immediate area is limited, so a car park is the easier option.
The Fleadh brings the city to life across the full week of 2-9 August, with sessions spilling into pubs, community halls and streets across central Belfast. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to Belfast City Hall - Gig Rig 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.