Major Event Order for the Fleadh Cheoil Na Héireann ‘The ‘Fleadh’ 2026

Overview

Belfast City Council (BCC) has applied to the Department to make a ‘major event order’ (MEO) in respect of the Fleadh, taking place in Belfast between 2 and 9 August 2026, for a core area within Belfast City Centre, as detailed in the map below.

The Fleadh is a major, high profile cultural event, expected to attract around 800,000 visitors, with peak daily attendance of up to 120,000 people. It will run each day from 11:00am to 11:00pm.

Major Event Order (MEO)

Article 48A of the Licensing (NI) Order 1996 and Article 26A of the Registration of Clubs (NI) Order 1996 gives the Department the power to make a MEO. A MEO designates an event taking place in Northern Ireland, which the Department considers will attract significant public interest, as a major event. An order also specifies the permitted hours for the sale/supply of intoxicating liquor for any place or premises included in the order.

The relevant premises within the event’s core will already be licensed or registered by the court to sell or supply alcohol. There will also be a number of occasional licences granted by the court, these licences allow for the sale of alcohol in specified unlicensed places.

However, depending on the type of licenses premises within the core area, these premises will have a range of different operating hours.

Belfast City Council Request for a Major Event Order

Belfast City Council has requested that permitted hours are extended for all premises of a specified kind* including registered clubs, until 1:00am of the following morning on each day of the Fleadh. This is to ensure licensed premises and registered clubs can operate to the same time to create a uniform position on licensing, to maximise available space, prevent overcrowding in any particular part of the core area and to support a staggered and managed exit from the core area.

The effect of the Major Event Order will be that all premises of a specified kind, and those with an occasional licence, within the core area, will be permitted to sell alcohol until 1:00am.  Drinking up time remains up to 1 hour after the last time for the sale and supply of alcohol.

The Order does not impact on those premises that are already permitted to sell alcohol until 2:00am.

Why your views matter

It is important to note that the sale/supply of alcohol is already permitted for many licensed premises until 1:00am and 2:00am, and for registered clubs, until 1am. Your views are therefore only being sought on the effect of the Order which would allow additional hours (until 1:00am) for those premises which would ordinarily only operate until 11:00pm.