Making Music - Northern Ireland

28/10/2026

Northern Ireland Christmas Concerts 2026.
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We're putting together a list of Christmas concerts across NI.
Want your event included? Drop a comment below with:
🎵 Group name
📅 Date
📍 Venue
🔗 Ticket/Facebook event link

We'll share as many as we can and help audiences find great local Christmas music!
- submissions close Friday 6th Nov.

21/10/2026

FUNDING: Small Capital Grants Programme
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To enable organisations to purchase equipment and/or carry out minor works to their premises

DEADLINE: deadline for applications is Monday 16 November.

Small Capital Grants Programme The Arts Council has transitioned to a new application portal As and when new funding programmes open and you apply using…

21/10/2026

FUNDING: National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme
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Opportunity to develop music projects that empower older people, promote wellbeing and are developed collaboratively with participants, with opportunities to showcase their impact.

National Lottery Arts and Older People Programme The Arts Council has transitioned to a new application portal. As and when new funding programmes open…

21/10/2026

FUNDING: Travel Award for Bands and Choirs
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The Arts Council has designed this programme to provide support to enable established bands and choirs based in Northern Ireland to travel outside of Northern Ireland.
• To develop their performance skills, networks and audiences
• To contribute to the growth of equality of access to and opportunities in the arts for choirs and groups

ROlLING PROGRAMME

Guidance on how to create a new application account is available here:…

15/10/2026

We have news and we are sharing it with you at 1pm today! It's about our first concert of the season and it's one we are all super excited about.

We'd love you to come along... it's going to be fun, memorable and it's music for all generations.

Keep your eyes peeled and as always, this community orchestra appreciates all your shares, likes and comments. 🎶🎼🎹🎤🎵

15/10/2026

🎶 Registrations are now open! 🎶

We’ve had a brilliant start to the audition season, having already heard 450 young singers in schools right across Northern Ireland. Thank you to every school, teacher and singer who welcomed us. We’ve been blown away by the talent out there!

We’re also delighted to announce that 2027 will see the relaunch of our Girls’ Choir for ages 8–11. This brings the NYCNI family back to five choirs:
✨ Easter: Boys’ Choir and Girls’ Choir
✨ Summer: Junior Choir, Training Choir and Senior Choir

It’s an exciting step in broadening our reach and continuing our work as the leading provider of youth choral singing in Northern Ireland.

📅 Open Audition Evening: Thursday 12th November, Belfast
Our first open audition evening is for all choirs. Whether you’ve sung with us before or you’re brand new, we’d love to hear you!

All the details and registration are on our website 👉 www.nycni.org

Please share with any young singers you know! 💙

14/10/2026

NI MEET-UP
Monday 19 Oct 2026 05:00 pm to 06:00 pm
All welcome
Free
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Our regular meetups are a chance fr music groups to share learning and ideas with other Northern Ireland groups, explore challenges facing leisure-time music and consider how we can find solutions and advocate for the sector.

Running your group is a rewarding but challenging role. Our regular meetups are a chance for you to meet and share learning and ideas with other Northern Ireland groups facing similar challenges, explore specific issues affecting leisure-time music making in Northern Ireland and consider how we can....

12/10/2026

Congratulations to Field Notes on their inaugural concerts.
Fantastic impact in less than a year.

https://www.farminglife.com/country-and-farming/field-notes-inaugural-concerts-are-a-huge-success-9275150?fbclid=IwY2xjawU50g9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR64xmqOjow-s4wQ54HkZF-pOFhtXx7SBZK88N9vwMCrFfX7F51wPk6oBdLN4w_aem_wW-HsSinxBMOvrYK-3xxXQ

There was plenty to celebrate for a newly formed rural community choir in Mid-Ulster.

10/10/2026