Dublin's TradFest Presents Top Folk and Traditional Musicians, Singers and Dancers, January 24-28, 2024

Looking for an excuse to hop over to Ireland this winter? Then check out the 19th annual TradFest in Dublin, on January 24-28, 2024, where the world’s best traditional musicians and singers converge for an amazing display of live performance. 

This year’s lineup includes singers Janis Ian, Mary Black and Aoife O'Donovan, banjo maestros Gerry O'Connor and Alison Brown, Galician piper Carlos Nuñez and uilleann pipers Paddy Keenan, Louise Mulcahy and Tara Howley and more. In all, 100+ Irish artists and international performers at dozens of events in cultural venues across the city.

Festival Director Kieran Hanrahan calls TradFest “a glorious celebration of our culture and traditions. It is an expression of new development and innovation in the music and song of Ireland. It’s a platform for the established and the abundant emerging talent in some of Dublin’s most iconic and historic settings, where both the artist and the listener are very much at ease."

Since its modest beginnings in 2005 as a small music gathering in Dublin's Temple Bar district, TradFest has evolved into Ireland’s biggest festival of traditional music without losing its intimate feel. While featuring the best of traditional Irish music, the festival also includes folk, alt-folk, jazz, hip hop and world music, delighting purists and the curious alike.

TradFest concert from 2023

One of the most popular segments in recent years is Women of Note, taking place this year on January 24 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the heart of the city. Curated and presented by Aoife Scott, this year’s line-up includes Frances Black, Kaia Kater and Katherine Priddy among others. 

Janis Ian

A real highlight for traditional music fans is native Dubliner Paddy Keenan performing on January 24 at Dublin Castle.  A founding member of the Bothy Band, Keenan has enjoyed a successful solo career as one of his generation’s greatest pipers. 

On January 25, American singer/songwriter Janis Ian give an exclusive live interview at the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre in Fingal.  

Aoife O'Donovan

And on January 27, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh of Altan presents a remarkable Trans Atlantic Women concert featuring women in traditional and folk music from both sides of the Atlantic.  Artists include American banjoist Alison Brown, singer Aoife O’Donovan of Boston, fiddler Eileen Ivers of New York, The Friel Sisters of Donegal and dancer Edwina Guckian of Leitrim. This captivating event will unfold at the historic National Stadium in Dublin, promising an exceptionally wonderful night that you won’t want to miss!

Still centered along the cobblestoned streets of Temple Bar, TradFest continues to expand its presence at landmark venues in Dublin. 

In addition to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, concerts are held at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks and Dublin Castle, and new venues added this year include the Abbey Theatre, the National Theatre of Ireland and the General Post Office, famously used as a headquarters by the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. See list of venues.

Alongside these ticketed events, the pubs and streets of Temple Bar are filled with musicians and dancers playing in sessions, busking and being part of the incredible TradFest vibe.

For information about visiting Ireland in January or any time of year, go to ireland.com