07/05/2025
Birmingham TradFest is taking a break
Birmingham Tradfest was founded as an organisation in 2013. We held our first festival in November 2014, with the Brian Finnegan Trio, Frankie Gavin and De Dannan, and Birmingham’s own Longacre headlining, and myriad other wonderful musicians gracing the festival’s stages and sessions. We were stunned by how successful that first festival was, how much folks had enjoyed it, how far people had travelled for it; the buzz amongst Irish trad fans young and old alike was astounding. Before starting Birmingham Tradfest, all of us had experience as gigging musicians, but certainly not as festival organisers, and so we were also bowled over by the help we received, the favours offered, and the good will and guidance proffered in support of making the weekend a success.
The festival has grown and developed in ways that (we feel) has allowed it to become a singular and exceptional celebration of Irish traditional music; a remarkable communion of trad-lovers in the heart of Birmingham. In the ten years since its inception, the festival has been home to countless extraordinary and marvellous events and episodes: sessions that never stop, riotous festival clubs, astounding Molloy Award finals, countless beautiful album launches, and more debauchery, joyousness, and craic than we ever could have hoped for when we first conceived the idea of the festival.
Running a festival is a huge undertaking, an exhausting one, in fact, and sustainable only with a dedicated core of organisers. In the years since the pandemic, some of the original team of six have stepped down due to other commitments, being replaced by willing individuals who have helped ensure the continuation of the festival. This led to several more successful festivals including that of last year, 2024. However, the pressures that running a festival entails are such that this year, we’ve decided that the time has come for us to put things on hold; to continue would be to do a disservice to the festival and all it encompasses. It is, therefore, with a heavy, but full, heart that we announce that Birmingham Tradfest will be taking a break.
At this point a few thank-yous are in order. A festival like this is only made possible by a huge team; a network of people willing to go above and beyond in making something special happen. To all of the volunteers, drivers, ticket-checkers, pub landlords and managers, venue staff, videographers + photographers, stage hands, and sound engineers, we thank you. To the incredible musicians, artists, and session musicians who brought their artistry and music to Brum, we are eternally grateful.
Most of all, though, we would like to say thank you to everyone who came to the festival—be it for a one-off concert, for a session or two, or for every single concert and session physically possible over the last ten years—there would be no festival without you; you made it what it was and is. It’s been an honour to have your support.
We hope to be back in the not-too-distant future, but, until then, we wish you all the best!
Finally, we’d love to hear your favourite memories of Birmingham TradFest in the comments below.
Birmingham TradFest
