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music · Sunday 19 July 2026 · Evening 
The Sands Family - Fiddler's Green Festival
At Fiddler's Green Festival venues · Rostrevor, Co. Down
At Fiddler's Green Festival venues · Rostrevor, Co. Down
The Sands Family are as much a part of Rostrevor as the mountains behind it. Anne, Ben, Colum and Tommy have spent four decades building a reputation as one of the most respected folk acts in Ireland, and this closing concert of Fiddler’s Green International Festival is one of the most sought-after tickets on the summer calendar in the north. It draws families, serious folk enthusiasts, and people who simply want a night of music that feels rooted in something real. If you have never seen them perform at home - in the village where they live - this is the performance to catch.
The Sands Family’s closing set is a festival tradition that regularly fills whatever space it occupies. Their music draws on the folk and traditional heritage of Co. Down, mixed with original compositions that carry the weight of their own lived experience here. Expect a warm mix of song, instrumental playing, and storytelling that moves between the deeply traditional and the quietly contemporary. They are accomplished performers and relaxed ones - there is no distance between the stage and the room. The wider Fiddler’s Green International Festival runs from 15 to 19 July 2026 and includes around 200 events: céilís, sessions in pubs and halls, workshops, an open-air stage in Kilbroney Park, the nightly Festival Folk Club at St. Bronagh’s Social Club, and a full programme for children. The closing Sands Family concert on the Sunday is the emotional high point of the week, and it sells out. Book early.
Rostrevor sits at the southern end of Co. Down, between the foot of the Mourne Mountains and the western shore of Carlingford Lough. By road it is about 10 minutes from Newry on the A2, or roughly an hour south of Belfast on the A1 to Newry and then the A2 along the lough. There is no direct rail to Rostrevor; the nearest train station is Newry, from which you can take a local bus or taxi. Parking in the village is limited during the festival week and the roads fill quickly on the Sunday evening. If you can walk or get a lift from nearby accommodation, do it.
The village is a good base for a couple of nights - Kilbroney Park, the forest walks on the slopes of Slieve Martin, and the lough shore are all within easy reach. There is more to see in Rostrevor and across Co. Down.
Heading to Fiddler's Green Festival venues in Rostrevor? Down has plenty more to see. Read the Rostrevor area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.