![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0024ccfc-614.jpg\"\/)
\nAttendance figures were recorded by Belfast One BID cameras which track footfall for their district<\/p>\n
The first Fleadh Cheoil na h\u00c9ireann to take place in Belfast has seen a 95% footfall increase in the Northern Ireland capital.<\/p>\n
The celebration of Irish music and culture officially opened on Sunday in the city centre and also saw a trial of extended opening hours for shops.<\/p>\n
It will run until Sunday 9 August with more than 200 events and 180 traditional music competitions at venues, pubs and streets.<\/p>\n
There were an estimated 170,000 visitors to the city centre on Sunday and 165,000 on Monday, with the previous prediction of 800,000 visitors now expected to be exceeded.<\/p>\n
Visit Belfast chief executive Gerry Lennon said the impact is about “more than just numbers”, describing it as a “truly historic event”.<\/p>\n
“But this is more than just numbers. You don’t need statistics to know this is a special \u2013 all you have to do is look around, look at the people with smiles on their faces.<\/p>\n
“This is truly a historic event,” Mr Lennon said.<\/p>\n
Events on the Gig Rig main stage at City Hall yesterday included Irish dancing and musical acts including the McClean family, Ards CC\u00c9 Entertainment Classes, Nigel Black, Tunes Translated, Oriel Traditional Orchestra, The Cedar Dobson Band and Ruciteme Club.<\/p>\n
One of the later performances saw a collaboration between Macalla, an eight-piece ensemble featuring artists from the Northwest Folk Collective in Derry and the Mshakht Collective from Iraq, blending the bouzouki and uilleann pipes with the qanun, oud and local percussion.<\/p>\n
\nAttendance figures were recorded by Belfast One BID cameras which track footfall for their district<\/p>\n
Earlier this week Stormont Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said the Fleadh is projected to bring a \u00a353 million (\u20ac61m) economic boost to the city.<\/p>\n
The Belfast One Business Improvement District (BID) has estimated that footfall in the city centre almost doubled on Sunday, up 95% from the same day last year to 176,462 people.<\/p>\n
They said the figures were recorded by Belfast One BID cameras which track footfall for their district, one square mile around Belfast City Hall.<\/p>\n
On Monday footfall figures showed an increase of 75% on the same day last year to 165,077, with a 126.3% increase on last week\u2019s footfall figures.<\/p>\n
Belfast One BID chief executive Martina Connolly hailed the figures.<\/p>\n
“These figures are fantastic to see and are a real reflection of the excitement surrounding this year\u2019s event,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s been wonderful to be part of the opening days and to see so many people enjoying our city centre and the vibrant, welcoming atmosphere we strive so hard to deliver.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019re looking forward to what the rest of the week brings and to welcoming even more visitors and residents to Belfast for this world-class event.”<\/p>\n
This year is the first time the annual music festival has been held in Belfast and only the second time it has been held in Northern Ireland, after being hosted in Derry in 2013.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s event has been billed as one of the most culturally diverse in its history, with cross-community participation and a celebration of traditions from across Northern Ireland and beyond.<\/p>\n
‘We want to introduce people to the north’<\/p>\n
Head of Events Tourism Northern Ireland Siobh\u00e1n McGuigan said the Fleadh Cheoil na h\u00c9ireann has generated an “absolutely palpable buzz” in Belfast. <\/p>\n
She said the event “means so much to this city, not just for this Fleadh week, where we are so proud to be able to showcase our city and all the story and musical traditions, but also encourage people to come back”.<\/p>\n
“We want to introduce people to the North [of Ireland] if they haven’t been here, and then they’ll explore right around the whole area and they will come back, not just next year but also just throughout the year – and recommend it, of course, to all the other visitors,” she said. <\/p>\n
She said despite the huge interest and number of people, Belfast was “not uncomfortably packed” on the opening weekend.<\/p>\n
“All the businesses have turned up, Northern Ireland and Belfast has shown up for this Fleadh and shown up for our visitors.<\/p>\n
“There’s still space, everyone has to just realise you’re not going to be uncomfortably cramped, there’s so much for you to do and so many places and venues for you to enjoy,” Ms McGuigan said. <\/p>\n
Ms McGuigan said that Northern Ireland is “pretty good” at hosting big events, pointing to the Open [Golf] Championship last year as an example, and that concerns about price gouging by hotels during the Fleadh has been addressed.<\/p>\n
She said Tourism Northern Ireland has ensured it has worked “really closely” with hospitality and accommodation providers.<\/p>\n
“You do see it [price gouging] everywhere, but what I hope our visitors that come for Fleadh will see that the accommodation sector has listened.<\/p>\n
“They have really considered the fact that this isn’t just about one week either, they want people to feel like they’ve had good value and that this is a really affordable city and that they are not being taken advantage of,” she said.<\/p>\n
“So I think visitors will see that there are realistic prices out there and there’s a lot of accommodation on offer.”<\/p>\n
She said while Belfast is a “small city” it has a “really large accommodation offering, so there’s always going to be something at different price points for absolutely everybody.” <\/p>\n