The Ed Sheeran Foundation (ESF) is expanding its work into Ireland and funding its first overseas project, North South Sounds 2026.
North South Sounds 2026 is a cross-border collaboration between the Ed Sheeran Foundation (ESF), Music Generation Cork City and the Oh Yeah Centre.
Running from July to December 2026, the programme will connect children and young people from opposite corners of the island of Ireland through a shared music initiative centred on songwriting, performance and community engagement.
Ed Sheeran said: “I’m so happy to be bringing the Ed Sheeran Foundation to Ireland. I’ve spent loads of time in the country over the years. Having family roots there, it’s a place that’s always been special to me. Every child should have the opportunity to learn and take part in music, and we’re continuing our work to help make that a reality.”
“The first project kicks off at The Fleadh on Monday,” he added. “I played the festival last year and have such fond memories of it. If you’re there, go and check out some of the incredible young talent.”
North South Sounds 2026 will encourage young musicians to blend influences and genres, merging elements of traditional Irish and folk music with other genres such as hip-hop, pop and rock. The project will engage with young people who might otherwise lack access to music creation, instrumental tuition and performance opportunities.
Throughout the project, the children and young people’s music making will be facilitated by a team of musical educators from Music Generation Cork City in partnership with Creative Tradition and The Kabin Studio alongside the Oh Yeah Centre.
Every child should have the opportunity to learn and take part in music, and we’re continuing our work to help make that a reality
Ed Sheeran
The project will launch with performances by 50 young people at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann August 3 at Belfast City Hall, where they will premiere a series of collaborative musical fusions, developed through workshops in the lead-up to the festival.
Last year, Ed Sheeran made a surprise appearance at the festival, performing a mix of his own hits and traditional Irish tunes alongside local artists at The Sky and The Ground pub in Wexford.
Covering four core activities over the following six months, North South Sounds 2026 will feature youth-led gigs in both Cork City and Belfast. Other strands of the project include non-residential summer camps in Cork City and Belfast, which will expand reach to an additional 100 young people.
Earlier this month, the Ed Sheeran Foundation announced its active role in the UK government’s new Music In Libraries programme, which was inspired by Ed Sheeran following his meeting with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, during a visit to one of ESF’s grantees in 2025.
After Ed Sheeran witnessed Scotland’s pioneering We Make Music Instrument Libraries model first-hand through Tinderbox (a Scottish music charity supported by the Ed Sheeran Foundation), he recognised the potential of using existing community infrastructure, such as libraries, to expand access to music education.
The foundation has been working behind the scenes with the UK government to help bring this vision to life.
The libraries programme, which ESF is helping to co-design, aims to strengthen music education outside of school by creating dedicated spaces in libraries for music-making, workshops, studio equipment and live performances, with the government committing more than £12.5 million in funding to the programme.
PHOTO: Ed Sheeran performing at the Fleadh in August 2025
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