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music · Friday 31 July 2026 · 8:00pm 
Solas 30th Anniversary - Belfast TradFest
At Mandela Hall · Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim
At Mandela Hall · Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim
Thirty years is a long time in any genre, but in Irish traditional music Solas earned a place apart. Formed in New York in the mid-1990s, the band - built around Séamus Egan’s flute and whistles, Winifred Horan’s fiddle, and John Williams’s accordion - helped carry Irish trad to audiences who had never set foot on these islands. After an eight-year hiatus, they are back on the road for a 30th anniversary tour, and this Belfast date at Mandela Hall on Friday 31 July is one of the headline shows of Belfast TradFest 2026. It suits anyone who loves traditional music played at the highest level, or who wants to catch a reunion performance that will not come around again soon.
The current lineup brings together three founding members - Egan, Horan, and Williams - alongside Nuala Kennedy on flute and vocals and Alan Murray on guitar and bouzouki. Expect a long set drawing from three decades of material: jigs, reels, slow airs, and the kind of ensemble interplay that made Solas a reference point for the whole Irish-American trad scene. The festival’s own description calls it an “electrifying live show,” and the band’s reputation for tight, energetic performance is well documented.
Before Solas take the stage, three emerging musicians open - Jack McGoldrick, Eimear Magee, and Peadar Connor, each a 2026 Gradam Ceoil TG4 Traditional Music Bursary recipient. That context matters: Belfast TradFest uses its headline concerts to connect the established names with the next generation coming through.
Mandela Hall itself is a 1,000-capacity venue inside Queen’s University Students’ Union. It has held live music since the 1970s - U2 played there twice in their early years - and the room suits standing crowds for big shows or can be configured for seated events. Check the ticket details for the format on the night.
Mandela Hall sits on University Road, a short walk south from Belfast city centre. From Great Victoria Street station or Europa Bus Centre, it is roughly a 15-minute walk or a quick bus on routes serving the Malone Road / Queen’s Quarter corridor. If you are arriving by train into Lanyon Place (Central Station), allow 20 to 25 minutes on foot or take a Metro connection. Driving into Belfast on a Friday evening can be slow; street parking in the university area is limited, so the city-centre multi-storeys off Donegall Square or around Great Victoria Street are a safer bet.
Belfast in late July is a city with a full calendar - TradFest runs across multiple venues from 26 July to 2 August, so there is scope to take in more than one event during the week. The Cathedral Quarter is a short taxi or bus ride from Mandela Hall and has a strong late-evening pub and music scene. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to Mandela 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.