The Irish Folk Festival — Berlin

50 Years of Irish Folk in Germany

The Irish Folk Festival is more than a concert — it's an institution. Founded in 1974 by the concert agency Magnetic Music from Reutlingen, it was the first festival in Germany to systematically bring Irish Folk acts on tour. Over the decades, genre giants like The Dubliners, Planxty, De Dannan, The Chieftains, and countless other Irish bands have performed here — many for the first time in Germany. The annual tour usually comprises 15 to 25 stops from north to south and now also extends to Switzerland.

'Gold dust in your pocket' — Tour 2026

The 2026 edition is named 'Gold dust in your pocket' — an allusion to the traditional Irish saying that the most valuable treasures are intangible: music, memories, encounters. The tour runs from mid-October to the end of November 2026 through German and Swiss venues; the Berlin date is on Friday, November 20, 2026, at the Passionskirche in Kreuzberg.

Concept: Four Acts, Three Hours, One Session

The program concept has remained the same for decades: Four acts perform one after another in the evening — shorter sets of 25–40 minutes each, each with a different stylistic emphasis. The highlight is a joint session at the end, where musicians from all four acts come together on stage and improvise. Three hours of programming guaranteed — a mix that clearly distinguishes the format from a classic solo concert.

Passionskirche Kreuzberg — Berlin Concert Venue with Acoustics

The Berlin venue is the Passionskirche on Marheinekeplatz in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district — a Protestant church from the late 19th century, used as a concert space for acoustic music for years. The church's acoustics are particularly well-suited for folk and acoustic sets; the warm wood and high ceiling showcase violins, flutes, banjos, and vocals equally well.

Magnetic Music — Concert Agency for Irish and World Music

The organizer is Magnetic Music GmbH from Reutlingen — for over 50 years, the most important German concert agency for Irish Folk, Celtic Rock, Blues, and World Music. With the Berlin stop of the festival, the capital is a firm part of the annual route planning. The exact band selection for 2026 will be published on irishfolkfestival.de and via Magnetic Music newsletters; experience shows that the lineup typically includes two established acts and two younger bands from the Irish folk scene.