Belfast’s May Day programme for 2026 was launched on Thursday (April 16th).
The event at the Oh Yeah Music Centre heard from a number of people from the labour movement and the arts sector ahead of a series of events, including the annual May Day parade through the city centre.
Chilean musician Victor Henriquez set the mood for the evening with a number of songs.
Assessing the importance of the May Day events, Paddy Mackel, president, Belfast Trades Council and a trade union official with UCU (University and College Union), told those gathered: “The point, for us, is to make this a recognised public community festival for years to come.
“It is really exciting for us to be building this year on year.
“You see how community festivals in other countries develop and what we are seeing here in this one is that is the direction we are going.
“The May Day festival itself, on the day, will have things for families and young people. It’s a fun day out for people but there will also be politics in that, as there rightly should be.
“Because all of this is about politics. It’s all about protecting human beings in this world of chaos – and that’s our role.”
The May events will run from April 25th to May 9th.
They include live music, discussions, walks, book and pamphlet launches and the march and rally – on Saturday, May 2nd.
Gerry Murphy, assistant general secretary, ICTU, said at the launch: “This is the biggest celebration of working people across the island. It’s founded on action. Three actions in particular: those actions are to educate, to agitate, and to organise.
“The programme of events that we are here launching brings together the trade union movement, the arts, ethnic minorities, and the under-appreciated community and voluntary sector in a celebration of both the traditions of the labour movement and a demonstration of the determination of working people and communities across this city to continue the work of previous generations in bringing about positive change.”
You can view the May Day Belfast 2026 programme here