Founded in 2000, the Montreal International Celtic Festival experienced three successive years of growth. Visitors of all origins had the opportunity to discover, through music, dance, storytelling, arts and crafts, conferences and workshops, exhibits, traditional food and drink, our Celtic traditions and heritage, but most of all, they came together to celebrate the common historical roots that the traditional music of Québec and the rest of Canada share with music from the Old Countries.

The Festival presented some of the best Celtic artists and groups worldwide, showcasing the entire range of present-day Celtic music, from the very traditional to the newest tendencies in modern Celtic music.

The first edition was held June 17-18, 2000, and was an immediate hit. It attracted close to 20,000 people and was hailed as a huge success by the public, the performers, the on-site vendors, and the Celtic communities involved.

The second edition was held on August 10-12, 2001 and surpassed all expectations. It attracted close to 30,000 people over the 2 and ½ day weekend. Over 180 performers from Canada, the USA, France, Ireland, Spain and the UK, and representing all eight of the “Celtic Nations” of Europe, gave 58 separate performances.

The third edition was held on August 9-11, 2002 and continued to surpass expectations, attracting another 30,000 people, including over 200 volunteers and 180 performers from six countries who gave 62 separate performances.

Since 2002, the Festival itself has been suspended while the organizers catch their collective breath as this was a volunteer effort.

Much has happened in the years since the last Festival.

• To keep the Celtic spirit alive, we have organized concerts by performers such as The Tannahill Weavers, Desi Wilkinson, Kirk MacGeachy, Jerry Holland, Salsa Celtica, The Bottine souriante, The Barra MacNeils, Maeve Mackinnon, and many more, and continue to do so. To receive updates, join our mailing list.
• We have supported good causes such as Ovarian Cancer Canada by providing volunteers and Celtic music at their events.
• We have collaborated with other groups such as the Festival interculturel du conte du Québec and the Jeanie Johnston Committee to bring great music to the public.

In September 2007, the Festival moved its offices to the Eastern Townships.

We are currently redesigning the Festival to better serve its loyal community of artists, exhibitors, sponsors, and fans, and relocating it to a more suitable venue while at the same time rethinking the philosophy behind the Festival.

We are currently seeking volunteers to help us in our planning and development work. If you are interested in joining our team, click here.

Anyone wishing to contribute ideas or time are invited to contact April O'Donoughue at april@montrealcelticfestival.com

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The event is presented by the Montréal Celtic Festival Foundation, a federally-chartered non-profit organization. The Foundation has entrusted the mandate of organizing the Festival to O'Donoughue & Associates Event Management Ltd., a firm that has specialized in event management for the last 20 years.