The first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann to take place in Belfast has seen a 95% footfall increase in the Northern Ireland capital.
The celebration of Irish music and culture officially opened on Sunday in the city centre and also saw a trial of extended opening hours for shops.
It will run until Sunday August 9 with more than 200 events and 180 traditional music competitions at venues, pubs and streets.
There were an estimated 170,000 visitors to the city centre on Sunday and 165,000 on Monday, with the previous prediction of 800,000 visitors now expected to be exceeded.
Visit Belfast chief executive Gerry Lennon said the impact is about “more than just numbers”, describing a “truly historic event”.
“Sunday, Monday and Today (Tuesday) have been phenomenal. Belfast One have told us that on Sunday the city centre had about 170,000 visitors and on Monday there were 165,000, so we’re confident that as the week builds towards the pinnacle of Friday, Saturday and Sunday the estimated figure of 800,000 will be exceeded,” he said.
“But this is more than just numbers. You don’t need statistics to know this is a special – all you have to do is look around, look at the people with smiles on their faces.
“This is truly a historic event.”
Events on the Gig Rig main stage at City Hall on Tuesday included Irish dancing and musical acts including the McClean family, Ards CCÉ Entertainment Classes, Nigel Black, Tunes Translated, Oriel Traditional Orchestra, The Cedar Dobson Band, and Ruciteme Club.
One of the later performances saw a collaboration between Macalla, an eight-piece ensemble featuring artists from the Northwest Folk Collective in Londonderry and the Mshakht Collective from Iraq, blending the bouzouki and uilleann pipes with the qanun, oud, and local percussion.
Earlier this week Stormont Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said the Fleadh is projected to bring a £53 million economic boost to the city.
The Belfast One Business Improvement District (BID) has estimated that footfall in the city centre almost doubled on Sunday, up 95% from the same day last year to 176,462 people.
They said the figures were recorded by Belfast One BID cameras which track footfall for their district, one square mile around Belfast City Hall.
On Monday footfall figures showed an increase of 75% on the same day last year to 165,077, with a 126.3% increase on last week’s footfall figures.
Belfast One BID chief executive Martina Connolly hailed the figures.
“These figures are fantastic to see and are a real reflection of the excitement surrounding this year’s event,” she said.
“It’s been wonderful to be part of the opening days and to see so many people enjoying our city centre and the vibrant, welcoming atmosphere we strive so hard to deliver.
“We’re looking forward to what the rest of the week brings and to welcoming even more visitors and residents to Belfast for this world-class event.”
This year is the first time the annual music festival has been held in Belfast and only the second time it has been held in Northern Ireland, after being hosted in Londonderry in 2013.
The 2026 event has been billed as one of the most culturally diverse in its history, with cross-community participation and a celebration of traditions from across Northern Ireland and beyond.
