Saturday TuneSwap Trad Sessions - 3 October 2026
Description
Saturday TuneSwap Trad Sessions
Join us for an afternoon and evening of community-focused Irish traditional music sessions centred on learning, sharing and swapping tunes.
Bring a tune or set you enjoy to share with others and listen for something that stays with you. The music we learn from one another carries memories of the people, places and moments where it was shared—building repertoire, connection and belonging through the session.
Come for one session or join us across the afternoon and evening. There will be breaks between sessions for conversation, refreshments and a change of session hosts. Musicians and listeners are warmly welcome.
The event is free. Registration helps us understand expected numbers and which sessions people plan to attend.
Session Times
- 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
TuneSwap Welcome Session
Learn, share or revisit your favourite popular session tunes. A welcome session to start the afternoon, centred on very common Irish traditional tunes and sets—the kind of repertoire players are likely to encounter in sessions here and around the world. A great opportunity for learners, developing session players, visiting musicians and anyone newer to TuneSwap-style sessions. Experienced players are warmly welcome to help anchor the music and share some of the tunes that first got them interested in playing. Join the tunes you know, listen when something is unfamiliar and enjoy a relaxed start to the afternoon.
- 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
`TuneSwap Session
Share, swap and learn regular session tunes. This session will explore a broader repertoire of tunes and sets regularly played at TuneSwap sessions and in the wider traditional music community. Share something you enjoy, listen to the music other players bring and find a tune or set you would like to learn. Session hosts will help keep the music welcoming, varied and well paced.
- 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Evening Trad Session
Players’ Favourites & Open Repertoire. A more open evening session featuring players’ personal favourites, familiar session repertoire and less-common gems. This is a chance for musicians to bring out tunes or sets they especially enjoy and haven’t had a chance to play yet. Musicians can join the tunes they know, and listeners are warmly welcome.
FAQs
- How do TuneSwap sessions work?
TuneSwap sessions are not staged performances - they are social gatherings of musicians to play, learn and chat. Pauses in the music are part of the charm.
A useful rule of thumb is to bring one tune or set to share for each session you plan to attend, then leave space for other musicians to share something of their own. Session hosts may invite some players to lead more where that helps support the music and flow of the session.
- Do I need to know every tune?
No. Listening is an important part of learning, and one of the best ways to find music you may want to come back to later.
Join in when you know the tune and can comfortably follow the tempo, rhythm and style of the musician leading it. If a tune is unfamiliar or difficult to follow, feel welcome to sit back, listen and rejoin when the next familiar tune comes around.
- How will seating work?
To help everyone participate, musicians may be asked to change or vacate seats between sessions so others have an opportunity to sit in a good position within the session.
Some seats near the centre may be reserved and coordinated by the hosts for the musicians supporting each session.
- Can I accompany the tunes?
TuneSwap is principally an instrumental tune session rather than a song session.
To support the focus on learning and swapping tunes, accompaniment will be coordinated by the organiser and session hosts. As a general principle, there will be one main accompaniment instrument playing at a time, as agreed with the hosts for that session.
If you would like to participate as an accompanist, please contact the organiser before the event. Registering for the event does not automatically reserve an accompaniment place.
- Will there be songs?
Songs may be included by invitation and in coordination with the session hosts.
TuneSwap is principally focused on instrumental Irish traditional tunes, so songs are not the main focus of these sessions.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
