Belfast TradFest begins on Sunday, bringing over 1,000 artists to 40 venues across the city for its eighth edition.

Founder and artistic director Dónal O’Connor stated that Irish traditional music and dance belong to everyone, and the festival was established to unite people through the art forms.

O’Connor said that during the Troubles, traditional music became polarised and certain elements were seen as belonging to one side or the other. The festival, he added, has helped to break down those barriers.

The city is set for a fortnight of traditional music as the world’s largest Irish music festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, starts on the day TradFest ends. It is the first time the All-Ireland Fleadh will be held in Belfast.

O’Connor noted that the arrival of the fleadh is a recognition of the groundwork laid by TradFest. He described it as a sign of international confidence in the city.

The festival programme includes headline concerts, outdoor céilís, and music masterclasses. The Michael McGoldrick Big Band opens the event at Mandela Hall. Irish-American band Solas return to Belfast for their first show in almost two decades. Flook and Four Men and a Dog are also among the performing groups.

An outdoor céilí at Titanic Slipways featuring the Blackwater Céilí Band is expected to draw more than 10,000 attendees.

Fiddle player Eimear Magee, who will open for Solas and lead workshops, said the city is thriving with traditional music and that TradFest has helped make an All-Ireland fleadh in Belfast possible. She said playing the music can feel magical and that the tradition is kept alive by being passed down through generations.

TradFest runs until 2 August, with the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann following immediately.