On August 14 and 15, 2026, the summer stage of ufaFabrik will once again transform into the Green Island in the heart of Berlin: The 9. Irish Festival invites you to two days filled with music, dance, and encounters.

This time, Beeswing from Dublin will be featured, with dance accompaniment by Nicole Ohnesorge and Gyula Glaser. Also performing are Am Dunta, Tricia Collins Band, who will create an exhilarating festival atmosphere with traditional sounds and modern arrangements.

The group Nightlark invites you to an Irish Ceilidh (everyone is invited to join in dancing!). The Berlin dance schools for Irish Dance, Urban Beats, and Tap Connection will present their choreographies. An open session will, of course, also take place. There will be plenty of food, and from the stands of photo artist Finn Coleman and the Irish Shop Berlin, you can take a piece of Ireland home.

Whether long-time friends of Ireland or curious newcomers – everyone is welcome to be part of this special atmosphere during the two summer days.

Program:

Friday, August 14, 2026

18:30 Tricia Collins Duo

19:30 Urban Beats Dance Academy

20:00 Beeswing with Nicole Ohnesorge and Gyula Glaser

22:00 Open Session



Saturday, August 15, 2026

16:15 Ceilidh to dance along with Nightlark

17:15 Doc Mac Dooleys Fairy Hour

17:30 Am Dúnta

19:45 Tap Connection

20:15 Nightlark with Special Guests



ABOUT THE ACTS:

Tricia Collins Duo:
The Irish musicians Tricia Collins (Roscommon) and Conor Cunningham (Donegal) met in Berlin's vibrant trad-session scene. Despite their different dialects – which often cause confusion – they were musically in agreement from the very beginning.

Conor brings a variety of tones with whistle, flute, clarinet, and vocals. Tricia complements with guitar and voice, characterized by warm harmonies and narrative singing.

Between the musical influences of their home regions, they have found their common denominator: the joy of music. With a mix of their own songs and traditional Irish melodies – from Sean-Nós to modern folk – they create a playful yet tradition-imbued sound.

https://de.musiqua.com/band/tricia-collins-25734

Urban Beat Irish Dance Academy
The Urban Beat Irish Dance Academy brings Irish dance to Berlin and unites dancers of all levels. In 2025, the group performed on various stages, held workshops, and achieved top-5 placements at international championships. The focus is on the joy of music and movement.

Training takes place regularly at the dance space in Wedding, with classes for all age groups – from recreational to competitive. Stylistically, Urban Beat combines traditional elements with modern influences ("Irish Dance with a Twist").

Beginners are welcome, trial trainings are possible at any time. Irish dance is an intense solo or group training without a dance partner. Since 2014, Urban Beat has been a staple in the Berlin scene.

Beeswing with Nicole Ohnesorge and Gyula Glaser (Dance)
Beeswing is a group of session musicians from the famous O’Donahue’s Pub in Dublin: Shay Byrne (guitar and vocals), Eibhlin Ni Bhaoighill (accordion), Kevin Walsh (banjo), and Brendan Lynch (fiddle).

The four have played with famous musicians from the Dubliners, Fureys, Wolf Tones, and many others, including Oscar-winner Glen Hansard.

Nicole and Gyula are one of the best-known Irish step dance duos in Europe. They have spent their joint career on the most renowned stages in Europe and danced in lead roles in the internationally acclaimed step dance show "Magic of the Dance."

Nicole Ohnesorge is a three-time German champion, won 3rd place at the World Championships, and is a vice-European champion in Irish dance.

Gyula Glaser is a triple European champion in Irish dance as a solo dancer. He has traveled the world for many years with well-known shows such as "Gaelforce Dance" and "Magic of the Dance." In 2022, he earned his master's degree at the University of Limerick in Ireland with "First Class Honours."

Ceilidh with Nightlark
Cèilidh (keɪ.li) are traditional Scottish and Irish group dances for everyone to participate in! The jigs and reels in line or circle formations are very easy to learn and a lot of fun! The Saturday afternoon Ceilidh will be led by Gyula Glaser and musically accompanied by Nightlark, Berlin's number 1 Ceilidh band.

Doc MacDooleys Fairy Hour
Ireland: It is not just the music, not just the storytelling, not just the romance and the belief in little green goblins and eerie Banshees. What if everything were to come together into a unique fairytale musical adventure?

Doc MacDooley, the Irish researcher of elves and fairies, knows a lot about the Otherworld and his homeland, the Green Island. Playfully, narratively, musically, and singing, he takes his audience with the help of magical fairy winds to the fairy knights in Scotland and mystical places in Ireland.

Alexander Philipp Hahne is a trained musical performer, with classical vocal studies at the Franz Liszt School of Music in Weimar, working freelance as a singer, speaker, performer, musician, storyteller, and author.

With Doc MacDooley, he connects his love for folk music and Ireland with his profession. Since 2013, the Brothers Grimm Year, he has published several solo fairytale musicals and audio play adaptations of traditional legends from the Celtic culture.

http://www.doc-macdooley.de

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtFjfWTEdrw

AM DÚNTA:
Am Dúnta (Irish for "Closing Time") is an energetic Irish Trad ensemble from Berlin. Look forward to exhilarating reels and jigs, heartfelt songs, and a bright, airy sound. Their music reflects a unique blend of Irish and American folk roots. Their performances bring people together and offer an opportunity to dance, laugh, and celebrate together.

Lynnea Shuck (fiddle)
Aidan O’Keefe (voice, guitar)
Eric Little (voice, whistle, piano)
Alex Bartholome (bodhrán)

Tap Connection:
The Steglitz dance studio Tap Connection teaches Irish dance to all age groups from beginners to advanced classes. Tap Connection not only prepares students for performances and championships, but also offers an opportunity for anyone who has found joy in Irish music to move to the traditional rhythms.

In addition to training in soft and hard shoes, Céilídh evenings are also held where communal Gaelic dances are taught.

Let yourself be transported to the Green Island and celebrate together with the children and adults of Tap Connection Irish culture and liveliness.

http://www.tap-connection.de

Nightlark:
Nightlark pursues a unique, contemporary approach to traditional folk music. As a skilled ensemble, they play a lively mix of energetic dance music and atmospheric songs, characterized by a beautiful sound and great sensitivity.

With a modern touch, they combine elements of jazz with the roots of Celtic and American contemporary and traditional folk music. Their rich sound explores heartfelt folk songs, spirited jigs and reels, and other traditional melodies using modern harmonies and arrangements, bringing new vitality to traditional and contemporary music from Scotland, Ireland, and beyond.

Lineup (IFB 2026):

Gal Binyamin (Fiddle) – classically trained, active in the Berlin folk scene.

Jane South (Flute, Accordion) – versatile musician with festival and touring experience.

Herbie Loening (Guitar, Double Bass) – award-winning folk musician with international activity.

Neil Macdonald (Guitar, Vocals) – Scottish artist known for expressive folk interpretations.

http://www.nightlarkmusic.com

Finn Coleman – Photo Exhibition:
Finn Coleman is a young photographer from Limerick, Ireland. He loves to photograph raw and untouched landscapes. He hopes to share his love for the beautiful, diverse landscapes of Ireland and Scotland.

Irish Berlin:
Since 1995, Irish Berlin has been bringing goods from all corners of Ireland to Berlin. For the festival at ufaFabrik, they will have a small selection of linen and tweed caps, bike vests and raincoats, shirts, Celtic jewelry, as well as suspenders and souvenirs.

https://irish-berlin.de

Title Photo: ufaFabrik

Box office opening: Fri.: 17:30 | Sat.: 15:15!

The Dubliners are a legend, the Dublin Legends continue it. If you want to read about the legend here, it sounds like this:

The Galway Races ... The Ferryman ... The Banks of the Roses ... Black Velvet Band ... 7 Drunken Nights ... Spanish Lady ... The Leaving of Liverpool ... Rare Auld Mountain Dew ... The Fields of Athenry ... The Rambling Rover ... Fiddler’s Green ... Boys come Rolling Home ... The Irish Rover ... The Ballad of Ronnie ... Drew Dirty Old Town ... Whiskey in the Jar …

They draw from a repertoire that is as vast as the green island is green. And they play Whiskey in the Jar like on the first day, the youngest, the circle closes concert by concert. And with that, everything is essentially said. But because there is still some time until their next concert at Christuskirche - they feel at home here as much as they do at home at the bar - here is a brief look along the long legend:

Founded in 1962, never really left any Irish pub and then straight onto the big stages: performances together with U2, Damien Dempsey, and The Pogues, regular number one hits ... When Irish Folk was the sound of the metropolises, they were the best.

And they gradually passed away; Barney McKenna was the last from the original formation, and when he also passed away, it seemed that the legend had come to an end. It turned out differently: A few weeks after Barney's death, those who had been raised over the years and concerts by the original Dubliners in the art of Irish Folk founded the DUBLIN LEGENDS. They are - if one wants to understand a cultural asset as something that can be inherited - the rightful heirs.

And they are, as soon as you hear them, rightly so: Gerry O’Connor with the violin, Paul Watchorn on the banjo, Shay Kavanagh - for the late Eamonn Campbell who passed away in October 2017 - on the vocal cords and guitar, and then there is ...

... Séan Cannon, who has been with them for 30 years, the man who does not tell a legend, but is the legend himself.

+ + +

http://www.christuskirche-bochum.de

Doors open: 19:00