The Michigan Irish Music Festival is a three-day ceilidh, held by the waterfront in the sleepy little town of Muskegon, which borders Lake Michigan, is a real hoot of an Irish shindig.
More than 30,000 visitors flock here every September to see some of the top Celtic musicians from Ireland, Scotland and North America.
They even dish up authentic Irish food too – there’s Guinness fish and chips, Irish stew, Irish bangers and mash, potato soup and some extremely tasty corned beef sandwiches.
Music at Michigan Irish Music Festival 2026
The musical entertainment takes place in four giant marquees – the Cork Stage, the Kerry Stage, the Grafton Stage and the Pub Stage – while over on the Blarney Stage there’s story-telling, flower-arranging and Irish language lessons.
They even hold a well-attended Catholic Mass on the Cork Stage during Sunday morning.
As for the music, watch out for a band called Skerryvore, with their mix of bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, whistles and guitars, the Screaming Orphans, four folk-rock sisters from Co Donegal, and Socks in the Frying Pan, an award-winning trio from Co Clare.
They were all among the star acts this year and the three are already booked to highlight the festival in 2026.
If you fancy a break from the music, try the whiskey tasting and the displays of Irish dancing.
Or drop in on professional storyteller Cathy Smith and her husband Steve, from Dublin (er, the town in Ohio, not the Irish capital!) who have a display explaining exactly what happens at an Irish Wake.
Spoiler alert: It invariably involves large quantities of booze!
Irish Citizenship and Charity
There’s even a pop-up Irish consulate where folk can get advice on how to apply for Irish citizenship.
The festival, which has been held annually since the turn of the century, is a not-for-profit event, run entirely by around 1,400 cheerful volunteers, who freely give their time and effort.
Dedicated to the memory of Ireland’s Gorta Mor, or Great Famine, in the mid-19th century, it aims to “mitigate food insecurity in our community”.
The organisers proudly boast: “To date, we have donated over $450,000 (£342,000) and over 20,500lbs of food to local charities.”
Well, sláinte. I’ll certainly drink to that!
More information on Michigan Irish Music Festival 2026
For everything else go to the website below. Or read about Mal’s experience going to the 2025 festival.
