Our festival started out in 2006 as a small niche traditional music festival, a first for Dublin. We wanted to create something special – a festival showcasing the cream of both Irish and international trad and folk artists while also providing a stage to promote the next generation of Irish musicianship. From modest beginnings the festival has gone from strength to strength. The past decade has has seen the festival grow in terms of size, ambition and musical breadth, with a line-up that now appeals to the purist and the merely curious alike. Although TradFest today is Ireland’s largest festival of traditional music we now also feature artists from the worlds of folk, nu-folk, and even (whisper it) rock and roll! We want to keep it special – we are still a boutique Winter festival – closing the door on the darkest season and ushering in the light and energy of Spring. TradFest also offers concert goers unique opportunities to experience live music in some of Dublin’s most historic places. From the atmospheric Kilmainham Gaol to the grandeur of City Hall, this is the difference between memorable and unforgettable.

We invite you to join us, to feel every note.

This is more than just trad, this is trad without frontiers…

‘Temple Bar TradFest is growing in strength every year’ Irish Independent

‘Temple Bar TradFest has built its reputation as offering a chink of musical light in the dying days of January’ Irish Times

‘The bar for this year’s festival has been set unexpectedly early’ The Ticket, Irish Times