Musicians from around the world have reimagined Irish traditional music at Ulster University's CoSTAR Screen Lab as part of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast.
The Ludo Dao CIC Intercultural Music Showcase brought together nine finalists, each performing a three-minute piece fusing Irish traditional music with instruments and forms from Vietnam, Korea, Greece, Türkiye and beyond.
CoSTAR Screen Lab explores the future of live performance
Alongside the competition, the event featured a live international performance link delivered in collaboration with the Asia-America-Europe Cultural Exchange and Development Center (AECC) and Chinese broadcast partner WCICO. Supported by the Northern Ireland-China Consular General, Li Nan, the demonstration formed part of a research project led by Ludo Dao and Ulster University's CoSTAR Screen Lab, exploring how technology can support live performance and creative collaboration across continents, with the findings expected to inform future research.
Judges selected four finalists to perform at the Gig Rig at Belfast City Hall on 6 August as part of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. The overall winner, chosen by public vote, will receive a £1,000 prize from Ludo Dao and will be announced on 7 August.
CoSTAR Co-Director, Professor Frank Lyons, said:
“The CoSTAR Screen Lab was built for exactly this kind of ambition – bringing world-class artists together with cutting-edge virtual production and real-time technologies.
“To connect Belfast and Chongqing live, and to place Irish tradition in conversation with musical cultures from across the world, shows what this facility can do for artists and researchers alike.”
The competition was judged by Professor Frank Lyons and Dr Pól O'Hagan, alongside internationally renowned musicians Beibei Wang and Shahab Coohe, who also performed.
Performances were staged against the virtual-production wall in the CoSTAR Screen Lab, using a bespoke backdrop that reimagined the city of Chongqing shifting from day into night, with staging that featured a Persian rug provided by Mir Galleries.
Director of Research and Innovation at Ludo Dao CIC, Dr Pól O’Hagan, said:
“Music is one of the truest ways for cultures to meet. What we saw was Irish traditional music meeting the traditions of the wider world on equal terms, with real respect and real craft on both sides. Belfast is the perfect place for that conversation, and it was a privilege to help judge it.”
Four finalists progress to the Fleadh Gig Rig
Among those selected to progress were Jane Lim, originally from South Korea, whose performance blended Irish traditional music with the popular Korean folk song Arirang; Witek Kulczycki, originally from Poland and now based in Galway; Jiachang Li, originally from China; and Cedar Dobson from California, USA, who has been immersed in Irish traditional music throughout her life.
Belfast is hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann – the world's largest celebration of Irish music and culture – for the first time, from 2 to 9 August 2026.
