Your Roots Are Showing, Ireland’s Folk Conference is heading north for a three-year Belfast residency, with the 2026 edition set for 13-18th January. It is the island’s largest annual gathering of folk, roots and trad professionals, and bringing it to NI puts an international shop window right on our doorstep.

For NI artists the immediate priority is the Official Showcase call. Four purpose-built stages in ICC Belfast host 100-plus slots across the week, watched by bookers, agents, labels and media from around the world. Applications are free and close at midnight on 7th July, so if your sound sits anywhere on the folk-Americana-trad spectrum, now’s the time to polish that EPK and apply via the Official Showcase page.

The conference itself opens with the Folk in Fusion concert on 13th January before rolling into five days of daytime panels, songwriting and instrumental workshops, the Gig Fair networking market and nightly showcases. Late-night sessions and the YRAS Music Trail spill out into pubs and cafés across the city, creating the kind of shoulder-to-shoulder atmosphere that turns introductions into collaborations.

Early-bird five-day passes are €99 until 31 July (capped for selected showcase artists), with mid- and full-price tiers kicking in later. Delegate numbers have doubled year-on-year since launch, and Belfast now has a three-year window to prove it can be the natural home for modern folk on this side of the Atlantic.

Whether you’re an artist, promoter, educator or industry newcomer, YRAS offers a rare chance to build international connections without leaving home and to put NI talent centre stage for the people who can move careers forward. Full details, schedules and tickets are available on the Your Roots Are Showing website.