Pan Celtic Festival

The Pan Celtic Festival (Féile Pan Cheilteach) is an annual festival dedicated to Celtic music and culture that has been held in Ireland each spring since 1971. It strives to promote the modern Celtic languages from all six Celtic nations: Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales as well as to introduce talented Celtic artists to a wide audience.

The inaugural festival took place in May 1971 in a town of Killarney, Country Kerrey, Ireland. It was originally named Gwyl Gerdd Bach (Small Music Festival). The event featured performers of Celtic-language music from Wales, Ireland and Brittany. One of the festival’s participants was notable Welsh performer Meredydd Evans. Following the event, he invited the organizer, Con O’Connaill, to the National Eisteddfod of Wales where O’Connaill met representatives from other Celtic regions. A committee for the Pan Celtic Festival was formed shortly afterwards.

The Pan Celtic Festival is open to members of Celtic nations which belong to the Celtic League, a pan-Celtic organization founded in 1961 to promote modern Celtic culture and identity. Each participating nation holds a national selection event to determine their representatives to the festival. From 1971 to 1990 the festival was held in Killarney. Since 1991, it has traveled to various Irish towns and cities including Tralee, Dingle, Galway, Letterkenny, Donegal Town, Carlow, Kilkenny, Derry, Ennis, and Carlow.

The rich and diverse program of the Pan Celtic Festival includes Celtic music and dance, parades, competitions, and fringe events. The best fiddlers, harpists and pipe bands from Ireland and Scotland come to the festival to amaze the audience with their skill ant talent. The festival also features traditional folk music as well as Celtic rock and pop music.

Music and dance events at the Pan Celtic Festival include Club Nights (Club na Féile) hosted by each of the participating nations, the Irish Celtic Dance Competition, and public dance displays. The festival competitions include Traditional Singing Competition, International Song Contest, Dance Competitions, Choral Competitions, Piping & Drumming Competitions, and Instrumental Music Competition.

Other events and activities featured in the program include open air entertainment, live sessions, a food & craft outdoor market, art and storytelling for children, workshops and storytelling for adults, sport events, language classes, poetry readings, art exhibitions, social dancing, and more.