Musicians from Japan and Australia will be among visitors arriving in Belfast over the coming days as the city prepares to host this year’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann for the first time.More than 800,000 people are expected to attend the event – double the number the last time the fleadh was in Northern Ireland, when it was in Derry in 2013 – which will run from August 2nd to 9th.“There’s a real buzz and excitement. It’s palpable, you can feel it even in the city centre,” said Niall McClean, chairman of Ards Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the festival’s host branch.“Music will be thronging the streets throughout the whole city. I would say it’s the biggest event that’s ever taken place in Northern Ireland.”Road signs have appeared across Belfast with flashing messages about the upcoming festival and planning a journey due to road closures.Ormeau Park in the south of the city is to operate as a temporary campsite, with hotel rooms in towns close to Belfast – including Bangor – already booked out. Belfast City Council is hosting the fleadh. Belfast City Council is hosting the fleadh and organisers say its epicentre will be the Gig Rig in the grounds of City Hall where the main festival stage is located.Audiences can sit on the manicured lawns outside the landmark building where all events on the stage – they’ll run from 11am to 11pm – will be free.Sharon Shannon, Lúnasa, and Foy Vance are among the headline acts.The cultural diversity and cross-community aspect of the event has been highlighted throughout its build-up.The Bands Forum – representing marching bands from the Protestant, unionist and loyalist communities – is leading a celebration of Ulster Scots culture in a performance on the Titanic slipway.Dhol drummers, Indian dancers, flute and pipe bands and Highland dancers will blend with Irish traditional musicians for the specially commissioned opening ceremony, titled Sharing Traditions.Fringe events, from workshops to storytelling to dance, include a live performance exploring the connection between the human brain and harp playing.Kelly's Cellars in Belfast. Photograph: Chris Heaney At the core of the festival is the All-Ireland Fleadh competition, attracting competing musicians and dancers from across the world as well as Irish hopefuls qualifying from county and provincial fleadhs.At the weekend, the Ulster Fleadh took place in Warrenpoint, Co Down, which Niall McClean, his wife and four children – all musicians – attended.They are performing in the Belfast event, including his youngest daughter, Orla, who is five years old.“We’re just out of rehearsals for a piece, The Star of the County Down, our 15-18s group is doing with the Ulster Orchestra,” said McClean, who is also co-chair of this year’s fleadh committee.“My son Séamus, he’s only 14, is starting it with the uilleann pipes. It starts off slow and then it goes into a jig and becomes a full march. It’s beautiful how it’s been orchestrated.”As the host Comhaltas branch, McClean said there are nerves “but mostly excitement”.Comhaltas, an international cultural movement dedicated to the promotion of Irish music, song and dance, is represented in 32 countries.Kelly's Cellars, a Belfast venue where the Ards Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann group performed. Photograph: Chris Heaney “I would describe this honestly as the Olympics of Irish traditional music. I know they call it an all-Ireland fleadh, but it’s a world fleadh,” added McClean.“We have a group from Japan, we have competitors coming from Australia, all different parts of America, particularly from North America. Then there are thousands coming from across the water; all of them will have qualified.“In terms of acts and musicians, you’re talking multiple thousands.“Everybody’s on a high; we can’t wait to get started.”