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heritage · Monday 27 July 2026 · Various 
Belfast TradFest Summer School 2026
At CAP Arts Centre · Community Arts Partnership, Gordon Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim BT1 2LG
At CAP Arts Centre · Community Arts Partnership, Gordon Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim BT1 2LG
Five days of concentrated traditional music learning in the middle of Belfast city centre - the Belfast TradFest Summer School is one of the most serious trad learning events in Ireland or Britain. Now in its eighth year, it draws tutors of genuine international standing and pulls in students from across Ireland, Britain and further afield. If you play an instrument, sing in Irish, or want to start from scratch, there is a class aimed squarely at you. This is not a casual festival add-on; it is a full working week with structured morning and afternoon sessions every day.
Classes run daily from 10am to 1pm and again from 2pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday, giving participants a full six hours of tuition each day. The instrument list is extensive - fiddle, tin whistle, flute, bodhrán, button accordion, banjo, concertina, uilleann pipes, smallpipes, harp, cello, viola, mandolin and bouzouki all feature, alongside traditional singing, amhránaíocht (sean nós singing), set dancing and sean nós dancing. Beginners are well catered for - some courses accept complete newcomers from age five, and there are dedicated children’s sessions and family discount rates. Those further along can book intermediate or advanced classes requiring at least two years of experience.
The tutors confirmed for 2026 include Michael McGoldrick (flute and uilleann pipes), Oisín MacDiarmada (fiddle), Caitlín Nic Gabhann (concertina), Kevin Burke, Mary Bergin, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Zoë Conway, and Breton multi-instrumentalist Sylvain Barou, among many others. Masterclass fees range from £65 to £199 depending on the class, with a family discount available and a bursary scheme for those who need support with costs.
The summer school feeds directly into the main TradFest festival week and then into Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann the following fortnight, so anyone with time to spare can continue from workshop mode straight into one of the largest gatherings of traditional music in the world.
Belfast city centre is easy to reach from anywhere on the island. From Dublin, the Enterprise train runs regularly to Belfast Grand Central Station, taking just over two hours. The station is also the hub for regional bus services from Derry, Newry, Armagh and across the north. If you are driving from the south, the M1 motorway connects Dublin to Belfast without much fuss. The venue area in the city centre is well served by Metro bus routes from all directions. Street parking in the centre fills quickly on weekdays; the closest multi-storey options are at Victoria Square and the Cathedral Quarter car parks nearby.
Belfast in late July is at its most open and sociable, with trad sessions and informal music spilling well beyond the summer school itself. There is more to see in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.
Heading to CAP Arts Centre 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.