Belfast will host Comhaltas Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann from 2 to 9 August, with over 800,000 people expected to attend the world's largest celebration of Irish music and culture.

Belfast City Council has outlined measures to manage litter and waste during the event. Many city centre roads will close to vehicles from 5am on 2 August until 7am on 10 August, creating a pedestrianised zone. Buses will continue to operate, but other vehicle access will be restricted to an early morning window between 4am and 8am. Forty on-street recycling stations will be installed for mixed dry recycling, food waste and general waste, along with 200 additional general waste bins at key points. Ten dedicated bin hubs will support operatives clearing bins during the day, with overnight collections from 11pm to 7am. Heavy service vehicles will clean the zone at night, and an early morning power-wash will be carried out where needed. Volunteers will signpost visitors to bins. The council's commercial waste collections will take place between 2am and 6am, and household collections outside the city centre continue as normal. Free sustainability workshops at 2 Royal Avenue and Castle Place will run during the festival.

An Irish Language Hub will operate at The MAC, featuring free daily Irish taster classes delivered by Ulster University, a tea-and-conversation space, and a family room. The programme includes traditional music sessions, film screenings such as Mise Éire, Róise & Frank and An Cailín Ciúin, and a Belfast history walk on the Irish language led by Professor Fionntánn de Brú. Raidió Fáilte will broadcast live, and sessions will address inclusion and accessibility. Bilingual signage and wayfinding will be in place across the city centre. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly, said the hub would create a welcoming space for fluent speakers, learners and those new to the language.

Events will also celebrate Ulster-Scots traditions at the Corn Exchange on Gordon Street. Major performances, including Sharing Traditions at the Gig Rig at City Hall on 2 August and the Ulster Bands showcase at Titanic Slipways on 6 August, will bring together artists from diverse backgrounds. A fringe programme of more than 90 neighbourhood events includes an evening of Gaelic song at Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich on 17 July, a concert at The Duncairn on 18 July, and family gatherings across the city.

Seven businesses have signed on as official sponsors: Maxer as digital partner, Donnelly Group as vehicle partner, Dalata Hotel Group, Clover Group, Jigsaw, the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, and Salty Buoy Beer Company. Tourism NI has provided £1 million in financial backing, and TG4 and RTÉ will be official media partners, broadcasting live from Belfast. Councillor Ian McLaughlin, chair of the council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, said the partnerships demonstrated strong collaboration and a shared belief in the power of music and culture. Brendan McAleer of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann thanked the sponsors, calling their support an investment in culture and communities. Belfast will host the Fleadh again in 2027.