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$18.96*

Belfast Traditional Music Trail

3 Hill Street, Belfast

Available all year

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★★★★★ Average Rating: 5 8 Ratings

The Belfast Traditional Music Trail is a unique way to experience Irish music. With two professional musicians as your guides, walk through cobbled alleyways, past famous landmarks and on to private bars in some of the city’s oldest buildings. At each of the three stops you will be treated to a performance of traditional tunes, songs and stories, all of which make up your own personal ‘session’. 

Enjoy a local beer, cider, whiskey or Guinness while learning about the instruments, language, customs and history that make up Ireland’s vibrant musical tradition. Join us on this interactive experience and discover why Belfast is considered one of Ireland’s best cities for Traditional Irish Music. Our Trail lasts around 2 ½ hours and will take place in Belfast’s vibrant and centrally located Cathedral Quarter. Starting off at 4pm by the cosy fireside of The Dirty Onion bar, you will meet the musicians and be guided to a private room in the iconic Duke Of York public house. Here you can relax with a drink surrounded by a wealth of Belfast artefacts, and enjoy music, stories and songs from the Irish tradition. 

The Trail then moves on to one of Belfast’s oldest buildings, McHugh’s, where there will be more ceol agus craic (music and fun!) in store. Total walking distance will be roughly 900m, the walking pace will be light and we aim to keep our group together at all times. Should you wish to eat before embarking on the trail we recommend the Yardbird chicken rotisserie restaurant upstairs at The Dirty Onion. If you wish to eat after the trail, McHughs restaurant serves great Irish cuisine with a modern twist.

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Total Cost: $0.00*

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Terms & Conditions

Is a minimal age required to attend this event? 

While the Trad Trail is designed with adults in mind children are permitted but must remain under strict adult supervision.

Is my ticket transferable? 

If you wish to allow another person to use you ticket please ask them to quote the name of the person who purchased the ticket on arrival at the trail. 

What is your refund policy? 

Sorry, but trad trail tickets are non-refundable 

What happen in case of bad weather? 

As Belfast can be quite cold and wet at any time of the year we advise that you bring a rain coat with hood.

If you have any questions please get in touch at info@belfasttradtrail.com or call us on 028 90 288818 Mon-Fri 9-5pm. 

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Customer Ratings

★★★★★ Average Rating: 5 8 Ratings
  • ★★★★★5 Secrets of the session.
    Review by Eoghan in Jun 2018

    What a fantastic tour of music, culture and history of the city. Brought to life by a pair of excellent musicians whose guide you though the streets v…

    What a fantastic tour of music, culture and history of the city. Brought to life by a pair of excellent musicians whose guide you though the streets visiting 3 pubs learning a little more along the way. Highly recommend. Perfect way to set you up for a great weekend in Belfast

  • ★★★★★5 Magical Irish Music to Learn By
    Review by Paul R in Jun 2018

    Chris and Jason and Ciara topped off a magical stay in Belfast by teaching us about the history of traditional Irish music. Via a tour of three pubs a…

    Chris and Jason and Ciara topped off a magical stay in Belfast by teaching us about the history of traditional Irish music. Via a tour of three pubs and to the delights of liquid Irish refreshment we learned about jigs, slip jigs and reels, dances and songs. Don't be shy - you'll enjoy your chance to join in the singing and dancing! A brilliant way to make us feel right at home - many thanks.

  • ★★★★★5 Trad Irish music
    Review by Red in Sep 2019

    The Belfast Traditional Music tour was an amazingly informative and value for money event. 10 out of 10 for entertainment, 10/10 for informative, 10…

    The Belfast Traditional Music tour was an amazingly informative and value for money event. 10 out of 10 for entertainment, 10/10 for informative, 10/10 for professional, 10/10 for value for money. Deirdre and Marie met me at the Dirty Onion and gave us an introduction to the history or Irish music and how sessions work and how musicians learn their craft. I didn't quite know what to spect on this walk but I was impressed with their knowledge experience and talent. We visited 3 bars, finishing at Maddens where there as a bonus was a very qualified Irish dancer who showed us various types of Irish dance. We even got to have an Irish sing-a-long lead by Marie who had a magnificent voice. We learnt about the timing beats for Irish music, the differences between reels, and jigs and the keys in which the music is played. Anyone with the slightest interest in traditional music would be impressed and enlighten by this activity

  • ★★★★★5 Great way to spend a Saturday night.
    Review by Amal in Jun 2018

    We joined the trail last minute, having seen the flyer in our hotel lobby on our arrival. Jason and Chris were really funny and very knowledgeable gui…

    We joined the trail last minute, having seen the flyer in our hotel lobby on our arrival. Jason and Chris were really funny and very knowledgeable guides. They're really talented as well. We learnt a lot about instruments, melodies and history of Irish traditional music. Would really recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting Saturday evening.

  • ★★★★★5 Alternative way to visit the Cathedral quarter
    Review by Laura S in Jun 2018

    What a lovely alternative way to visit the Cathedral quarter in Belfast, and learn and enjoy musical instruments, traditional music, storytelling and …

    What a lovely alternative way to visit the Cathedral quarter in Belfast, and learn and enjoy musical instruments, traditional music, storytelling and Irish dancing. It was a pleasure to take this tour and invite my friends from Wales and Canada to experience it with me. The musicians and dancer are so welcoming and informative, very humble people and to share their company and hear their stories is a great pleasure and charming experience. Made me very proud to share the culture of this small part of the world with my friends. A great tour not to be missed if you are a local or visiting from overseas. Highly recommended.

  • ★★★★★5 Brilliant way to experience the musical side ...
    Review by Peter F in Jun 2018

    Brilliant way to experience the musical side of the city! The Belfast Trad Trail was an entertaining, engaging and enjoyable way to experience the mus…

    Brilliant way to experience the musical side of the city! The Belfast Trad Trail was an entertaining, engaging and enjoyable way to experience the music scene in Belfast. The hosts/tour guides were very welcoming, and it was great to do a small tour of the some of the Belfast bars that feature traditional Irish music. The dancing at the end of the tour was a great surprise!