A MAJOR traditional music festival is to open its doors today for the first time since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Around 5,000 people are this week expected to attend Belfast TradFest, which has grown to become one of the largest traditional music festivals in Ireland.
The festival has almost 250 events across the city, including more than 40 sessions taking place in 12 bars.
Dónal O'Connor, the festival's artistic director, said musicians are looking forward to coming together again and "celebrate all that's good about our music and culture".
"We have everyone from the very, very young and beginners on tin whistle and dance right up to masters like Liam Ó Maonlaí of the Hothouse Flowers and Sharon Shannon at the Ulster Hall on Friday July 29," he said.
"We have a great spread of people of all abilities and ages."
Gigs include the Belfast Harp Festival at Áras Mhic Reachtain on Tuesday and flute concert, Flutopia, in the Deer's Head on Thursday.
"We're very excited to be showcasing three of the recent TG4 Gradam Ceoil bursary recipients from the city," Mr O'Connor said.
"They are three young musicians - Sorcha Stockman, Sinéad McKenna and Brendan Kerr.
"They feature at a number of concerts. We are giving the next generation a wonderful opportunity to showcase their talents."
The festival is known for its summer school, featuring taster classes and masterclasses from musicians including Steve Cooney and Angelina Carberry.
"If you've never tried to play the bagpipes or the snare drum or the bodhrán, there is an opportunity to come along and try that," he said.
"We have Whistle and Sing - tin whistle and singing classes for age five plus and all the other classes.
"The summer school is the hub of the festival and that's what we've built the festival on.
"It's very important that we're bringing in the best of the business from Ireland, Scotland and America to teach our young and not-so-young people here in Belfast."
For the first time, the festival is holding a Céilí on Titanic Slipways. The free event will be held today between 1pm and 5pm.
"The Titanic Céilí is open to all to learn a few steps and join in the fun and the dancing," he said.
"We have the wonderful Brian Ború Céilí Band; Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, the lead singer of the band Altan, and we have some old-style step dancing workshops, face-painting and art for kids.
"We are delighted to welcome the Antrim and Derry Fiddlers which is a long-standing organisation promoting traditional music, cross-community and cross-culturally, in Antrim and Derry for many, many years."
If Belfast is successful in its bid to host the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2025, the festival aims to hold a Guinness World Record attempt for the world's largest Céilí that year.
"Cork holds the record in 2005 with 8,000 dancers dancing the Siege of Ennis for five minutes together. We hope to have a go in 2025," he said.
Mr O'Connor said he wanted to emulate the success of festivals including Celtic Connections in Glasgow.
"They started from a very small seed in 1994," he said.
"Now they bring in the region of 250,000 people to Glasgow and generate over £10 million for the local economy.
"We hope that Belfast TradFest is something that can grow to that kind of scale.
"The city has all of the facilities and a great interest in traditional music from all cultures and all backgrounds.
"We really want to reflect that."
