Folks! Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s Mid-Atlantic region has recently announced that the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Fleadh will take place April 17-19 at the New Jersey’s Crowne Plaza Princeton (900 Scudders Mill Rd, Plainsboro, NJ 08536). While registration details are still forthcoming, accommodation is now open. They’ve reserved a hotel block with a special rate of $149/night, which includes a full breakfast buffet on Saturday and Sunday mornings. If you’re planning on attending, it’s a good idea to book your hotel room sooner rather than later because they have a tendency to fill up. And do stay tuned as there’s sure be more 2026 Mid-Atlantic Fleadh news in the coming weeks. As always, though, for all things fleadh in general and for information about how to book your room, visit here. And definitely sign up for their email list!
In other news, with just a little over a month until St. Patrick’s Day, now is the time when we learn who will be performing in and around New York City this season, and it seems Sony Hall (235 W 46th St., between 7th and 8th) will be pulling out all the stops with a murders row of supergroups that includes Lúnasa, Solas, Dervish, “Dancing With The Celts,” and finally Altan. Looks like it’s going to be quite a month!
I’ve not yet been to Sony Hall, but it’s a venue with a fascinating history. Opened originally in 1938 as the “Diamond Horseshoe,” it was the commercial vision of the impresario and showman Billy Rose and was known for not only for its lavish environment, but for the steady stream of top entertainers it attracted.
“The stage, constructed by Albert Johnson, is unique, sprawling above the long ivory-white bar,” a newspaper article reported shortly after its opening. “On either side of the stage are two shiny, brass candelabra. […] The floriated brass chandelier which hangs in the center of the room was one of the Johnson's most difficult problems since he wanted a replica of the type of gas-light illumination of the Tony Pastor era, and there wasn't one to be found in the country. It had to be build to order and cost so much that Rose is still wincing."
The element that I find demonstrates the venue’s opulence best was the idea that "when you visit the Diamond Horseshoe, you won't receive any currency in your change. You'll get big, round shiny silver dollars. Rose has arranged with the Chase National Bank for the delivery of 1,000 new silver dollars daily. To heighten the atmosphere, there is a huge roulette wheel which will be whirled every half hour, with champagne on the house for the holder of the right ticket.” It seems to have done the job: after its first year, Rose could report that the venue had grossed "in the neighborhood of a million dollars!” How times have changed!
After many years and several iterations (which included a few years as Norwegian movie star and figure skater Sonja Henie’s “Ice Palace” club, which held a skating rink!) the space reopened in 2018 as Sony Hall, keeping many of its original design elements (save the skating rink) intact.
The St. Patricks’ Day series they have in store is really something else. First up is Lúnasa one of the best groups in Irish music today, on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Known for their tight, deftly executed arrangements and engaging stage presence, this show will be a special one, as they’ll be joined by a pair of incredible guests in Daoirí Farrell and Cathal Hayden, both of whom add massively to the band’s performances. From Dublin, Farrell is a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award and RTÉ Folk Award winner, and he’s one of the great singers of today. Hayden, from Tyrone, is a legendary banjo and fiddle players of his generation and a founding member of Four Men and a Dog. In addition, he’s the winner of the 2026 Michael A. Flanagan Banjo Award, which will be awarded at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast in August! I’m looking forward to this one in particular, as a Lúnasa show never disappoints – hope to see you there.
Then, on Saturday, March 7, the great band Solas performs. On the road at the moment celebrating their 30th anniversary, this iteration of the band includes Moira Smiley, Winifred Horan, Seamus Egan, John Williams, and Alan Murray and I’ve heard nothing but great things about what they’ve been up to. Solas is one of the original latter day supergroups, and not only do they still carry the fire for which they’re known, they doesn’t come to the City very often, so this is an important opportunity to get to check them out, you won’t want to miss it.
Dervish is up next on Wednesday, March 11. Formed in 1989, the band is fronted by the brilliant singer Cathy Jordan and has been representing Counties Sligo and Leitrim on the world stage ever since. Last year they released the single “Passage West” (feat. Indigo Girls) and in 2019 they received a lifetime achievement award from the BBC, and while they may be familiar visitors to the United States, City appearances are far rarer. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch them live!
“Dancing With The Celts” will take place on Monday, March 16. Hosted by The Celts, which includes Patrick D’Arcy (pipes/whistle/mandolin), Fiachra O’Regan (pipes/tenor banjo), Matt Menefee (banjo/mandolin/dobro), Grace Broadhead (fiddle/vocals), and Ric Blair (vocals/guitars/piano/bodhran), the show promises a dynamic telling of the Irish journey to America in music and dance that fans who have seen their nationally-featured PBS show “Christmas with The Celts” will surely enjoy.
This stellar month of music ends on Tuesday, March 17 when Donegal’s own legendary band Altan appears with special guest Alison Brown. Altan is a band that really needs no introduction. Formed in 1987 by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and Frankie Kennedy, they’ve been the standard-bearers for decades. Brown is a Grammy Award winning 5-string banjoist that draws from bluegrass, jazz, Latin and Irish traditions and adds a fascinating wrinkle to an already important band.
Sony Hall really has gone above and beyond with it’s upcoming St. Patrick’s Day series! For more information about ticketing, visit here.
