CeltFest 2026 presents Canada’s “first family” of Celtic music. For 26 years, The Barra MacNeils have been bringing their Cape Breton holiday concert to audiences across Canada. An East Coast Christmas has become a much-loved Christmas tradition, sharing a joyful Celtic Canadian experience with fans.
Five-time East Coast Music Award winners, The Barra MacNeils are a sibling group renowned for their instrumentals, harmonies, and storytelling: Kyle (vocals, guitar, violin, mandolin), Lucy (vocals, bodhran, Celtic harp, fiddle, step dancing), Sheumas (keyboards, piano, bodhran, fiddle, bouzouki, vocals), Stewart (vocals, accordion, tin whistle, flute, bouzouki, guitar, step dancing), and Boyd (mandolin, fiddle, guitar, banjo, percussion, step dancing) are joined by Jamie Gatti (bass).
Like an old-fashioned kitchen party, An East Coast Christmas blends music, dance, humour, and storytelling with heaps of Celtic charm. Fans will delight in both original and traditional tunes, including favourites “O Holy Night,” “Ave Maria,” “Christmas in Killarney,” and “Auld Lang Syne.”
