Which festivals are best for traditional music rather than large concerts?
Choose teaching and session festivals over headline stages. The Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay each July is built around morning classes in pipes, fiddle, flute, concertina and set dancing, with lectures, recitals and céilithe through the week and sessions in the pubs at night. The Fleadh Cheoil adds competitions and street sessions at a much larger scale. TradFest in Dublin each January puts traditional music into Temple Bar pubs, churches and small venues rather than arenas. County fleadhanna and local session pubs give you the same music at close range. Check the Comhaltas listings and each festival organiser for the current year's programme.
Useful pages: Events in Ireland · Festivals and events guide · Irish sport · Irish festivals to experience
Sources
- Festival organisers: TradFest, Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, Electric Picnic, Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Galway International Arts Festival, Wexford Festival Opera and Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival official sites and programmes
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