Tradfest Belgium: a six-day celebration of Irish music and culture

Tradfest is the largest traditional Irish music and culture festival to be run in Belgium, organised by the Irish embassy. Ambassador Éamonn MacAodha explains more

What is Tradfest?
Tradfest is a festival of Irish music and culture that will run in various places around Belgium between the 7 and 12 June. It's the biggest such festival that has ever been done, to our knowledge, with more than 40 events in 20 venues and about 70 different musicians, musical experts and others taking part, so it’s a big explosion of Ireland in Belgium - not just in Brussels but other places including Kraainem, Antwerp, Zaventem, Roeselare and Liège.

Last year we put our toe in the water and we did our first ever Tradfest here in Brussels. It was so successful that we were prompted to do it again - but the scale this year is much bigger. I think we’ve probably doubled what we did in terms of events, budget and so on.

What is the aim?
There are two things we are trying to do: the first is that we’re trying to provide Irish people living in Belgium a chance for them to access the music that they like so much - but also just as importantly we’re trying to introduce Irish culture to a Belgian audience and give those who are interested in Ireland a taste or a sample of Irish music and culture. So many people come to Ireland on the back of having been exposed to Irish music and that’s something that we’re keen to promote.

Read more at TheBulletin.be

Tradfest, around Belgium from 7-12 June. Full programe at www.embassyofireland.be