Everything You Need to Know: All-Ireland Fleadh Marching Band Competitions 2026
The All-Ireland Fleadh marching band competitions take place at Titanic Slipways, Belfast, on Sunday 9 August, with bands travelling from across Ireland and the United States for one of the biggest days in the marching band calendar. There are 14 bands qualified which is increased significantly from the 6 bands last year.
The official Fleadh programme has now confirmed the competition running order, with the Pipe Band competition beginning at 12pm before the remaining sections get underway from 2pm.
For anyone travelling to Belfast to compete or watch, here is everything you need to know about the competitions, running order, parking, weather and live coverage.
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At a Glance
Date: Sunday 9 August 2026
Venue: Titanic Slipways, Belfast
Pipe Band Competition: 12pm
All other marching band competitions: From 2pm
Bands competing: 13
Parking: Available immediately beside the Slipways at The Paddock, Titanic Quarter
Coach parking: Adjacent to Titanic Belfast
Parade: No official marching band parade
Coverage: Live throughout the day on Marching Bands Ireland
Official Competition Running Order
The official Fleadh programme confirms the order in which bands are listed to compete on Sunday.
Pipe Bands – 12pm
Four bands are listed in the official programme:
- Achill Pipe Band – Mayo
- Clonoe Independent Pipe Band – Tyrone
- St Joseph’s Pipe Band, Longstone – Down
- County Cork Pipes & Drums Band – Killarney-Clancy-Whelan CCE, United States
The section brings together three Irish qualifiers and visitors from the United States, with Achill, Clonoe and Longstone having secured their places through their respective provincial competitions.
Junior Accordion – 2pm
K&S return as the sole competitor in the Junior Accordion section.
Senior Accordion – 2pm
St Catherine’s will compete in the Senior Accordion section as the band marks its 25th anniversary year.
Senior Flute – 2pm
The two Donegal bands will meet at the All-Ireland Fleadh for the first time since 2017, with defending champions Maghery aiming for a record-breaking tenth consecutive All-Ireland title.
Junior Miscellaneous – 2pm
- Dún na Sí – Westmeath
- Banna Cheoil Cloich Cheann Fhaola Junior – Donegal
- St Kevin’s Marching Band – Wexford
Three counties will therefore be represented in the Junior Miscellaneous competition.
Senior Miscellaneous – 2pm
The programme lists:
- St Louis Irish Arts – Missouri, United States
- Banna Cheoil Cloich Cheann Fhaola Senior – Donegal
- Ramelton Town Band – Donegal
However, St Louis Irish Arts have confirmed to Marching Bands Ireland that they will not be taking part in Sunday’s competition, despite having qualified and appearing in the official programme. They are due to take part in the Senior Ceili Band competition at 5:30 on Sunday with a significant overlap between their marching band making it impossible to compete in both.
The Senior Miscellaneous competition is therefore expected to be contested by Cloich Cheann Fhaola and Ramelton.
That leaves 13 bands expected to take part across the six sections on Sunday.
Where are the competitions?
All six competitions will take place at Titanic Slipways, immediately behind Titanic Belfast.
The Pipe Band competition begins at noon, with the five remaining sections scheduled for 2pm. With several sections beginning at the same advertised time, spectators should be aware that the competitions will run across the afternoon rather than every band performing precisely at 2pm.
Parking at Titanic Slipways
There should be plenty of parking options close to the competition venue.
One of the closest is The Paddock, the large surface car park immediately beside Titanic Slipways. This is only a very short walk from the competition area and is likely to be one of the most convenient options for spectators travelling by car. This should be open on Sunday it was used for the Belfast Bands Forum event on Thursday night.
Additional parking is available throughout Titanic Quarter, including at Titanic Belfast and the SSE Arena/Odyssey complex.
With the Fleadh attracting large crowds to Belfast throughout the weekend, anyone driving to the competition should still allow extra time and arrive early where possible, particularly ahead of the 12pm Pipe Band competition.
Band and coach parking
Coach parking for competing bands will be available in the coach parking area adjacent to Titanic Belfast, within a short walk of the competition arena.
This should allow bands travelling by bus or coach to unload close to Titanic Slipways without needing to travel into Belfast city centre.
Getting there by public transport
Titanic Quarter is also well served by public transport.
Translink Metro and Glider services operate between the city centre and Titanic Quarter.
Those already attending Fleadh events in Belfast city centre can also walk to Titanic Quarter with it being around a 20 minute walk.
What will the weather be like?
Current forecasts suggest mild but changeable conditions for Sunday’s competitions.
Temperatures are expected to rise from around 17°C at noon to 19°C during the afternoon, with light winds of around 9–10mph.
There remains a chance of showers throughout the competition period, with the current forecast showing approximately a 30–45% chance of rain between noon and 4pm, although sunny intervals are also expected.
With all of the competitions taking place outdoors, spectators should come prepared for the possibility of a passing shower. The forecast will be updated closer to competition time.
No marching band parade
There will be no official marching band parade following Sunday’s competitions.
The traditional parade has been a feature of previous All-Ireland Fleadhs, giving the competing bands the opportunity to march through the host town or city following the competitions.
The competitions themselves remain unchanged and will proceed at Titanic Slipways on Sunday.
Follow the competitions live
Marching Bands Ireland will be at Titanic Slipways throughout Sunday providing live coverage of all six competitions.
Coverage will include updates as bands perform, photographs from the venue and results as they are announced, followed by reports and reaction from the 2026 All-Ireland Fleadh marching band competitions.
For those unable to make it to Belfast, the live coverage will provide updates throughout the afternoon from the first Pipe Band performance at 12pm through to the final results.
If you want to find out more about any of the bands click on their names above to view the competitions preview or head to our home page for all the articles.