FOLK iN FUSION Opens Your Roots Are Showing 2026 With a Thunderclap of Sound and Story
BELFAST | January 13, 2026 | Waterfront Hall
Your Roots Are Showing, Ireland’s hallmark folk, roots and traditional music conference, begins its 2026 programme with a night built on craft, connection and cultural courage. FOLK iN FUSION is the opening spark, a three hour uninterrupted journey into the best of Belfast, Nashville and everywhere their stories meet. No interval. No filler. Only artists who carry whole worlds in their voices.
Headlining the night is Amy Grant, a six time Grammy Award winner whose music has shaped entire generations. With more than thirty million albums sold, classics such as Baby Baby, Every Heartbeat and That’s What Love Is For, and honours that include a Kennedy Center recognition and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grant remains one of America’s most influential and beloved artists. Her ability to move between folk, gospel, pop and country gives this night its centre of gravity. She leads the FOLK iN FUSION bill with warmth, depth and a presence that carries straight through an audience.
She is joined by Crystal Gayle, the velvet voiced icon behind Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue. Gayle’s impact on American music is immeasurable, from more than twenty Number One singles to becoming the first woman in country music to earn a platinum album. Her voice remains both intimate and unmistakable. Gayle will also join NPR’s Ian Saint for an exclusive In Conversation during the conference.
Charlene Sloan, Executive Director of Your Roots Are Showing, says, “Having Amy Grant open this show is a moment of pure alignment. She represents the spirit of kindness, connection and collaboration that lives in both Belfast and Nashville. Pairing her with Crystal Gayle seals this night as something historic.”
They are joined by a remarkable transatlantic cohort.
Rissi Palmer, pioneering Americana artist and host of Color Me Country.
Dee White, a Nashville songwriter with a soulful, vintage Americana tone.
Ron Block, Grammy winning banjo master from Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Wyatt Ellis, the prodigious mandolinist reshaping the future of American folk.
Jessica Willis Fisher, a writer of fire and fearless storytelling.
Ireland steps forward with its own formidable force.
Wallis Bird, radical and uncompromising.
David Keenan, a poet with a voice that carries truth and ache in equal measure.
Paddy Keenan, legendary uilleann piper and founding member of The Bothy Band.
Gerry O Connor, one of Ireland’s most respected fiddlers.
Brendan McCreanor, piper, innovator and co-founder of both the concert and the conference.
Clare Sands, creator of hybrid Irish music driven by tradition and bravery.
FOLK iN FUSION is where history, identity and the future of folk stand shoulder to shoulder. A shared celebration of artistry and a reflection of the Belfast and Nashville Sister City bond.
Concert Info
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Time: 7PM to 10.30PM
Venue: Waterfront Hall, Belfast
Tickets On Sale: Friday, October 3 at 10AM on www.showingroots.com
Direct link: https://www.waterfront.co.uk/what-s-on/folk-in-fusion
Ticket Tiers
Premium front ten rows £65
Standard £49.50
Concession U16 or 65 plus £35
All ages welcome. U16s accompanied by an adult.
Getting to Belfast Is Easier Than EverBelfast’s new Grand Central Station opens this month as a unified, modern rail and transport hub. The Enterprise train from Dublin now arrives directly into the station, only minutes from the Waterfront Hall, ICC Belfast and the hotel quarter.
Irish Rail Low Fare web tickets begin at €14.99 each way when booked in advance.
Translink Enterprise fares begin at £14.99 for single adult journeys.
Both partners continue to lead in sustainable cross-border transport.
Exclusive Accommodation Offers
Europa Hotel 4 star
Classic Double single £115 or double £135 per night B and B
Superior King twin £155 B and B
res@eur.hastingshotels.com | +44 28 9027 1066
Grand Central Hotel 5 star
Classic Double single £150 or double £170 B and B
Deluxe King twin £190 B and B
res@gch.hastingshotels.com | +44 28 9023 1066
Bullitt Hotel 4 star
Twenty percent off with code YRAS26 from 14 to 18 January
Breakfast included plus ten percent off dinner at Taylor and Clay and Tetto
Holiday Inn Group, Ibis and Travelodge
Ten percent off best flexible rates quoting Your Roots Are Showing 2026
All participating hotels hold Green Tourism Accreditation.
Conference Overview
Your Roots Are Showing runs January 14 to 18 at ICC Belfast and brings together one of the strongest folk, roots and Americana communities in the world.
More than one hundred artists from twenty countries.
Over sixty speakers, mentors and industry leaders.
Four official showcase stages.
Forty two workshops on songwriting, craft, culture, sustainability, innovation, climate action, Web3 and artistic equity.
A city wide music trail filling Belfast’s venues, cafés and corners.
Speakers include Amy Grant, Crystal Gayle, Ron Block, Allison Shaw, Matthew Morgan, Pete Fisher, Leslie Fram, Maria Theessink, Keith Johnson and Barry Stapleton, Andrea Von Foerster.
Conference Registration
Early Bird five day pass €99 sold out
Mid Bird five day pass €125
Full Price five day pass €150
Student full access €60
One Day Pass €45
Showcase Night Pass €22