TradFest, Ireland’s largest trad and folk music festival, is returning to Temple Bar in 2023, from 25th to 29th of January, and for the first time ever, is set to expand into the Fingal region.

Since 2005, the festival has committed to bringing audiences the best of established and emerging musical talent, and will continue to reimagine and define Irish music, showcasing the very best to a growing Irish and international audience.

The festival’s reach this year is set to extend across Dublin city and County with performances in venues that include The National Stadium, National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin Castle, St Patrick’s Cathedral, The Pepper Canister Church, GPO Museum, The Button Factory and The Grand Social.

Fingal will see the festival venture into its historical setting for the first time since its inception, with weekend performances in Swords Castle Chapel & The Great Hall at Malahide Castle.

This year’s TradFest will celebrate the Mná na hÉireann, seeing a number of female led and curated Trad and Folk performances, in the hopes of greatly increasing women’s participation across the festival programme, as well as building balanced representation. Alongside female representation, the festival continues to welcome new voices, and to work towards increasing accessibility and diversity across its programme, and in trad and folk.

Aside from the music on offer, attendees can look forward to film screenings in the IFI, family fun in The Ark, an opportunity to trace your family history at the Family History Centre, and explore Epic: The Irish Emigration Museum.

Niamh Regan by Katya Kaushan.

Wednesday 25 January
Sorcha Costello 1pm Collins Barracks
Matt Molloy & Seán Keane 7.30pm Pepper Canister Church
Women of Note with Aoife Scott and Friends 7pm St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Thursday 26 January
Conor Connolly 1pm Collins Barracks
Dani Larkin 7.00pm Castle Hall
Lisa Lambe 7.30pm Pepper Canister Church
Dublin Pride Trad Night 8:30pm The Button Factory
JigJam 8.30pm The Grand Social
Dervish Presents the Great Irish Song Book with special guests 7.30pm The National Stadium
Eimear Quinn 7pm St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Friday 27 January
Aisling Lyons 1pm Collins Barracks
Katie Theasby 7:00pm Castle Hall
Word Up Collective Presents cbakl:seanfhocail 8:30pm The Button Factory
Féile Kíla 7.30pm The National Stadium
Kate Rusby 7pm St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Saturday 28 January
Aidan Connolly 1pm Collins Barracks
Lorcán MacMathúna, Paradise Lost – 1pm Pepper Canister Church
Frankie Gavin & Catherine McHugh – 1pm Chapel at Swords Castle
Martin & Eliza Carthy 4pm Pepper Canister Church
Navá 7:00pm Castle Hall
Iarla Ó Lionáird 7.30pm Pepper Canister Church
Moxie 8:30pm The Grand Social
Imbolg – The Women of Trad with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, T with the Maggies, Si Fiddlers, Brídín and more 7:30pm The National Stadium
Judy Collins/ Blánid 7pm St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Saíocht featuring Stephen Rea, Felispeaks Louise & Michelle Mulcahy and Neil Martin 4pm –Chapel at swords castle

Sunday 29 January
Niamh Regan-1pm The Great Hall, Malahide Castle
The Ocelots 2pm Pepper Canister Church
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh 6pm Pepper Canister Church
Saíocht featuring Stephen Rea, Felispeaks Louise & Michelle Mulcahy and Neil Martin 4pm –The Banquet Hall Malahide Castle

Tickets can be found via TradFest’s website here from €4.99.