Opening Concert of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026, Flagey, Brussels Réaltbhuíonta - the Irish for “constellations,” literally “a band of stars” - brings together leading musicians, dancers and artists whose work expands and reimagines the possibilities of Irish traditional music today. Taking its name from the idea of separate elements coming briefly into alignment, the concert presents contemporary traditional music as a living, evolving form: rooted in inheritance, yet continually reshaped through collaboration, improvisation, and exchange. Presented as the opening concert of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026 in Brussels and Luxembourg, the programme reflects the movement of music, people, and ideas across borders and traditions. At its centre is the bouzouki, an instrument whose journey from the Eastern Mediterranean into Irish traditional music speaks to wider histories of cultural exchange and shared European connection. Rather than a fixed ensemble, Réaltbhuíonta unfolds through a series of musical encounters. Artists from distinct traditions and practices come together in changing combinations, creating a performance shaped by dialogue, responsiveness, and shared listening. The programme features Aoife Ní Bhriain, Cormac McCarthy, Sam Comerford, Macdara Ó Faoláin and Cormac Begley, each bringing distinctive approaches to Irish traditional music and its contemporary development. Their work is joined by artists whose practices extend beyond and across genres, including Niwel Tsumbu, Francesco Turrisi, and special guest, whose influences span Congolese, Mediterranean, early, jazz, folk, and roots traditions. Rhythm and movement are central to the performance through the work of Sibéal Davitt and Stephanie Keane, whose percussive dance adds a visual and physical dimension to the music, while spoken word artist Ciara Ní É brings language into the performance as another form of rhythm, texture, and expression. Throughout the evening, the music gathers and disperses; collaborations form, dissolve, and reform in new configurations. What emerges is not a single unified sound, but a temporary alignment of voices and traditions - a constellation held briefly in sound. At its heart, Réaltbhuíonta celebrates Irish traditional music as a dynamic and outward-looking practice: one shaped by memory, movement, and encounter, and continually renewed through exchange. € 20