Ed Sheeran’s North South Sounds 2026 programme will bring young musicians together across Ireland as the singer expands his music education charity north and south.
The Ed Sheeran Foundation’s North South Sounds 2026 is a cross-border collaboration with Music Generation Cork City, and the Oh Yeah Centre.
It is being launched on Monday at the Fleadh in Belfast.
The Ed Sheeran Foundation (ESF) is dedicated to supporting music education in state schools and grassroots organisations, particularly in areas where it is not accessible.
By promoting inclusivity and fostering high-quality music education, the foundation aims to ensure that every young person gets a chance to explore their potential through music.
To date, ESF has supported 22 grassroots organisations and youth clubs in England.
Connecting young musicians north and south
Running from July to December, the programme will connect children and young people from all corners of the island of Ireland through a shared music initiative centred on songwriting, performance, and community engagement.
Ed, whose art curator father John’s family is from Belfast and whose grandmother Nancy Mulligan is from Gorey in Wexford, has long and deep ties to Ireland.
His 2017 album Divide celebrates them in song. He also recorded his hit Thinking Out Loud ‘as Gaeilge’.
He 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. 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.
Connecting young people with peers from different areas, it will celebrate local heritage, social inclusion and self-expression, and engage young people who lack access to music creation, instrumental tuition and performance opportunities.
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 and the Oh Yeah Centre.
The project will launch with performances by 50 young people at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann this Monday (3 August) at Belfast City Hall, where they will premiere collaborative musical fusions, developed through workshops.
Last year at the Fleadh in Wexford, Ed made a surprise appearance, performing both his own hits and traditional Irish tunes alongside local artists at The Sky and The Ground pub.
A highlight of North South Sounds 2026 will be youth-led gigs in Cork City and Belfast.
Other strands include summer camps in Cork City and Belfast, for an additional 100 young people in a safe environment for community building.
Earlier this month, the Ed Sheeran Foundation (ESF) announced its active role in the UK Government’s ‘Music in Libraries’ programme, which was inspired by Sheeran’s meeting last year with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, during a visit to an ESF grant recipient. The musician and minister agreed to collaborate.
Sheeran explained he had been inspired by Scotland’s pioneering ‘We Make Music Instrument Libraries’ through Tinderbox (a Scottish music charity supported by the Ed Sheeran Foundation).
He said he recognised the potential of using existing community infrastructure, such as libraries, to expand access to music education.
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.
Nandy’s Culture department has committed at least £12.5 million to the programme.
Last year, Sheeran visited schools and youth clubs up and down the country to hear directly from young people and teachers and explore ways to bring music education to the forefront.
At the same time Sheeran, joined by Harry Styles, Stormzy and Annie Lennox helped secure the UK government to introduce the first major update to the music curriculum in England in more than ten years.
The curriculum reform included the removal of the EBacc to encourage students to study a greater breadth of GCSE subjects including music and the arts, and diversifying music genres taught in schools.
A year ago, Sheeran he sold his own original artworks to raise more than over US$1.25 million for the foundation.
Ireland’s corresponding music education charity Music Generation is co-funded by U2, The Ireland Funds, the Department of Education and Youth and local authorities’ Local Music Education Partnerships (LMEPs).
Music Generation Cork City is one of 29 LMEPs in Ireland. Its local community partners are The Kabin Studio in Knocknaheeny and Creative Tradition which teaches more than 400 young people.
Oh Yeah Music Centre is a charity and award-winning music hub and venue based in Belfast which brings together young people from diverse backgrounds to learn, create and perform together, helping them build confidence, develop transferable skills and find ways into the creative industries.