Belfast Fleadh predicted to emulate tourism impact of hosting Open at Portrush
By David Young, Press Association
Hosting the Fleadh Cheoil in Belfast for the first time will create a tourism legacy similar to that delivered by staging golf’s Open Championship on the north coast, a tourism chief has predicted.
More than 700,000 people are set to visit the city in early August when the world’s biggest Irish music and culture festival and competition is held across eight days.
It will only be the second occasion Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann has been staged north of the border, with Derry hosting the annual celebration in 2013.
Tourism NI’s director of events, Aine Kearney, said the Fleadh should deliver a major boost to cross-border visitor numbers.
“We’ve seen the Fleadh Cheoil’s attendance grow year on year and there’s no shortage of aspirations in terms of what that’s going to look like when it’s hosted in Belfast in August 2026,” she said.
“We’re expecting at least 700,000 visitors, and the economic impact is in and around £60 million. And that probably is quite conservative.
“It’s really important for us because it provides an opportunity for us to provide a reason for people from the south to come north. Maybe for many of them, that might be the first time. But, also, what we have seen is a really, really high level of interest from the international markets.”
On the Fleadh’s potential to emulate the success of the Open, Ms Kearney added: “I think it’s definitely on a par in terms of its importance and what we see it doing from a legacy perspective.”
The Fleadh will host large-scale concerts and big-name acts but also a packed programme of street performances, pop-up gigs and community ceilis.
Ms Kearney said next year was about continuing the “momentum” created by staging the Open in Portrush this summer.
Independent research has suggested that the tournament generated £280 million in economic benefit for Northern Ireland.
An assessment commissioned jointly by tournament hosts The R&A and Tourism NI found that July’s sporting showpiece at Royal Portrush Golf Club delivered almost £90 million in economic impact within Northern Ireland.
Further research indicated that exposure of the region to a global audience produced £191 million worth of destination marketing benefit.
Almost 280,000 spectators attended Royal Portrush across a week that culminated with world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler lifting the prized Claret Jug in front of thousands of cheering fans.
The 153rd Open was the second-best attended event in the championship’s long history.
“It was another landmark year for us, and there’s no getting away that the crown jewel was the 153rd Open,” said Ms Kearney.
“And once again Northern Ireland put on an unbelievable performance.”
Ms Kearney also highlighted the impact of 14 other events backed by a Tourism NI initiative to promote the region internationally.
Those included the North West 200 motorcycle races on the north coast and Derry’s Halloween festival.
“We’re anticipating that the overall economic impact of those events will be close to £27 million,” said Ms Kearney.
