Over 1.6 million in Belfast during Fleadh Cheoil
Belfast hosted its first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, attracting an estimated 1.6 million visitors. The event was hailed as a major cultural success that boosted local tourism and public transport usage.
Why it matters
The festival demonstrates the economic and social impact of large-scale cultural events on city revitalization and community cohesion.
Around 1.6 million people are estimated to have been in Belfast over the course of the city's first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, city officials have said.
Footfall cameras across the city centre put attendance at 1,653,999 from Sunday 2 August up to yesterday, with Saturday recording the busiest day of the year to date with 289,560 visitors.
The event has been described by the chief executive of Visit Belfast Gerry Lennon as a "watershed moment" for the city, which "placed it firmly on the global stage in spectacular fashion".
The numbers are double those predicted for the world’s largest celebration of Irish music and culture.
Music from the loyalist community and ethnic minority communities was also showcased in what has been hailed as a diverse Fleadh in the Northern Ireland capital.
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