Music Day 2026 in Paris: a lineup for dancing at the Irish Cultural Centre

New edition for the Music Day. Each year, this popular, festive, and welcoming event offers a wealth of free concerts and DJ sets throughout the day and evening of June 21.

And on June 21, all styles are on display: rock and rap, blues and jazz, metal and electronic, as well as French pop and classical. The venues hosting these free musical moments are plentiful too: from streets to concert halls, museums and institutions, bars and churches... the choices are wide, and with so many options it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. So, we’ve decided to help you track down the best deal not to miss on Sunday, June 21, 2026 for this year’s Music Day!

If you love discovering new musical talents while you travel, head to the Irish Cultural Centre. As every June 21, the venue welcomes all ages into its courtyard for a unique, immersive, and warm Music Day celebration.

Inaugurated in 2002, the Centre culturel irlandais (CCI) is located in the Collège des Irlandais, the former home of a large Irish community of priests, seminarians and lay students, whose origins date back to 1578.

Nestled in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, the CCI houses a media library where the more curious can find a selection of books on the history of the place. Throughout the year, the Irish Cultural Center also offers a wide range of events, including meetings, exhibitions, shows and concerts.

Center culturel irlandais: the institution that promotes Irish culture in Paris
Exhibitions, concerts, screenings, debates... Throughout the year, the Centre culturel irlandais opens its doors to all for a cultural immersion on the Emerald Isle. Let's take a closer look at this cultural institution, housed since 2002 in the Collège des Irlandais building in the heart of Paris's Latin Quarter. [Read more]

On June 21, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, for the new Music Day, the CCI invites in its courtyard an entirely new collective of bouzouki players, alongside the folk trio Saltaire and soul singer Bronagh Gallagher. As always, note that entry is free. You’ll also find a drinks stand on site run by The Green Goose pub.

• To be read
• Fête de la Musique 2026 in Paris and Île-de-France, the concert lineup
• Fête de la musique 2026 in Paris: can't-miss spots in the Latin Quarter
• The week's best bets in Paris and Île-de-France for June 8–14, 2026

World Music Day 2026 at the Irish Cultural Centre: the lineup

Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM — Free admission, in the courtyard
The CCI may temporarily close its doors if crowds become too large.
In case of bad weather, check the Irish Cultural Centre site

• A lively Irish night featuring Bouzouki Craic, Saltaire and Bronagh Gallagher
  Sunday, June 21, 2026 — 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
  

  For over ten years now, the Irish Cultural Centre’s Music Festival has drawn thousands into the courtyard, in a warm, festive atmosphere. This year will be no exception: we’ll host three groups and artists, once again highlighting the vitality and richness of the Irish music scene. As last year, this edition spotlights traditional music with the Bouzouki Craic project (presented in association with the Hellenic Centre and Cyprus Culture), followed by the folk-trad trio Saltaire, joined by Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and Laura Jo. The evening closes with the irresistible actress and soul singer Bronagh Gallagher, hailed as a “jewel” by Dave Stewart and a “pure talent” by Brian Eno. Blending force, boldness and sensitivity, expect another unforgettable night!

  ### Bouzouki Craic (traditional-world music)

  Bouzouki Craic brings together the rich traditions of Ireland, Greece and Cyprus in a unique musical encounter imagined especially to open the 2026 Fête de la Musique. The Greek bouzouki, introduced to Irish traditional music in the 1970s, will be at the heart of a short residency initiated by the CCI—in collaboration with our friends at Cyprus Culture and the Hellenic Cultural Centre—gathering Antonis Antoniou (Cyprus), Libby McCrohan, Macdara Ó Faoláin (Ireland) and Yannis Pournaras (Greece). To close this singular journey, the four gifted musicians will interweave their strings and celebrate this instrument, a genuine link between Mediterranean and Irish cultures.

  ### Saltaire (folk-trad)

  Saltaire brings together three distinct musical worlds, shaped by years of studio work and live performance in traditional and folk circles. Comprising singer and cellist Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz, guitarist Ian Kinsella and bodhrán and bouzouki player Conor Lyons, Saltaire offers traditional tunes, reimagined folk ballads and original songs, blending energy, lyricism and boldness. With the deep resonance of the cello, the driving rhythm of the bodhrán, and the melodic interplay between guitar and bouzouki, the musicians create a folk sound that is both nostalgic and timeless. In February, the group released its debut EP, Only Moonlight, hailed by music press (Hot Press, RTÉ Radio 1, Irish Music Magazine, BBC, Golden Plec…). They have played Belfast at Your Roots Are Showing, Dublin at TradFest, and have since been invited across Europe, Australia and the United States. Tonight, the trio will be joined by the talented Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin (flute) and Laura Jo (banjo).

  ### Bronagh Gallagher (soul)

  In thirty years of a career, Bronagh Gallagher has appeared in cult films such as The Commitments, Pulp Fiction, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace—and in series (she recently featured in How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, from Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee). Simultaneously, Bronagh is regarded as a leading figure in soul music in Ireland, respected for both the quality of her compositions and her outstanding live performances. To date, the “Derry girl” has released three studio albums, as well as acclaimed singles and EPs, self-produced on her own label, Salty Dog Records. After several memorable concerts at the CCI in 2015 and 2017, and then in 2023 for the Rugby World Cup, she returns with her four superb musicians to pay homage to soul from the 1960s and early 1970s. Let yourself be swept away by the timeless blues of this charismatic diva, between enchanting ballads and vocal tours de force!

  With the support of Culture Ireland

  On-site bar provided by The Green Goose and Appie drinks

  Entrance via 5 Rue des Irlandais. Exit only via 11 Rue Lhomond.

  While space allows (in the courtyard); the CCI may temporarily close its doors in case of overcrowding.

  A bag check will be in place at the entrance. Large bags and suitcases are not allowed. Also prohibited: glass bottles, bicycles, scooters, animals (except guide dogs).

  In case of inclement weather, consult our site www.centreculturelirlandais.com or our social networks.