Belfast will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann from Sunday 2 August to Sunday 9 August, with the opening ceremony at City Hall beginning at noon. Hothouse Flowers have been added to the bill, which already includes a headline performance by Sharon Shannon and her Big Band at 8pm. The free event marks the first time the world’s largest festival of Irish traditional music has been held in the city, which holds UNESCO City of Music status.

A series of road closures will take effect from 5am on 2 August and remain until 7am on 10 August. Phased closures around the City Hall area will be used during peak periods. Three official park-and-ride sites at Giant’s Park, Belfast Harbour and the Eikon Exhibition Centre will operate shuttle buses to the city centre. Services from Giant’s Park and Belfast Harbour begin at 7.30am on Sunday, with the first bus from the Eikon site leaving at 10am. Buses run at intervals of 10 to 15 minutes.

The Fleadh forms part of a wider fortnight of events that opened with TradFest on 26 July and concludes with Féile an Phobail on 9 August. Féile na hAbhann continues this weekend with free riverside activities along the Lagan Walkway between Ormeau Bridge and Albert Bridge. A Twilight Market takes place on Friday 31 July from 5pm to 10pm, and a Family Fun Day on Saturday 1 August from noon to 4pm features live music from acts including The Rapparees and Magwere. From 6 to 9 August, a dedicated stage on Verner Street beside St George’s Market will present traditional music performances by artists such as Niall Hanna and Piaras Ó Lorcáin.

In the build-up to the Fleadh, Irish language traffic signs and bus lane markers have been installed along the Falls Road by the Department for Infrastructure. Irish language billboards, bus-stop advertisements and hoardings have appeared at Grand Central Station. A site on Castle Street has been cleared for a TG4 live broadcast marquee, and The MAC arts centre now carries bilingual signage. Separately, plans have been announced for Coláiste Feirste to occupy the former Corpus Christi school building at Beechmount as part of a £10m expansion of its estate.

The eight-day Fleadh programme includes most events free of charge, with a small number of ticketed performances. Two open-air céilís are scheduled at City Hall on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 August at 3pm. The Gig Rig outside City Hall will offer free daily music, with appearances from Sí Fiddlers, Lunása and the Blackwater Céilí Band. Seven pop-up session spaces will operate at locations including 2 Royal Avenue, Castle Place, Donegall Quay and ICC Belfast. The Fleadh Fringe will feature intimate sets by Kate Nash, Ryan McMullan and Foy Vance at city-centre venues.

Family activities include trad trails, storytelling, circus performances and an arts-and-crafts space at Castle Place. A Food Village will be set up at Belfast Cathedral, and an Irish Language Hub at The MAC will offer films, circus skills and events delivered through Irish. In east Belfast, a Joshua Burnside-curated showcase takes place at Banana Block on Wednesday 5 August, while in the north of the city, a night market is planned at Crumlin Road Gaol on 7 August and a Beyond Skin showcase at the Duncairn on 6 August features musicians from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Official campsites at Titanic Quarter for camper vans and Ormeau Park for tents open on 2 August. About 1,300 volunteers in yellow T-shirts will assist visitors with directions and competition sign-ins. Free child safety wristbands will be available to help reunite separated families. Event organisers advise visitors to pack for changeable weather, carry a reusable water bottle and use public transport where possible. Additional late-night bus and rail services will run on 2 August and from 6 to 9 August.

The festival closes on Sunday 9 August when the newly crowned Senior Céilí Band winners perform on the Gig Rig after the competition final at the Waterfront Hall.