Féile an Phobail organisers have not yet revealed if Wolfe Tones will perform at this year's finale

Wolfe Tones on stage at Feile an Phobail

Although the launch of the festival took place in the city earlier this week, the final line up of acts taking to the stage has not yet been published.

Traditionally the festival concludes with a performance from the Wolfe Tones – with a repertoire that includes Celtic Symphony, and the sing along chant “ooh ah, up the Ra” in praise of the IRA.

Following last year’s performance, Emma Little Pengelly of the DUP described the chanting as the “shame of Belfast,” and tweeted: “A final weekend drenched in squalid, vile sectarianism."

TUV leader Jim Allister said the festival had degenerated into a “terror fest”.

He said: “The fact that this festival continues to be lavishly funded from the public purse adds to the hurt and insult endured by the victims of terrorism.”

Following the launch of the festival on Wednesday, the organisers posted a message on social media, saying: “It was fantastic to see so many people at today’s Féile 2024 launch at St Mary’s University College.

"We are so excited for August with over 350 events taking place from the 1st to the 11th. It is going to be massive!!”

Loyalist commentator Jamie Bryson previously accepted an invitation to attend a panel discussion at Féile, but said the positive elements were “destroyed” by what he called the “IRA terrorfest”.

Following this week’s launch, he tweeted: “The West Belfast festival is clearly an important & well organised event for people from a nationalist background.

"It’s also true to say there are some genuine efforts to reach out & make it more inclusive & welcoming… but every year, all that is positive is destroyed by the IRA terrorfest at the end.”

He added: “If the organisers were to dispense with that, and who knows they may well, then their claims of genuine commitment to an inclusive festival would have far greater credibility.”

In response to the criticism in 2023, Féile director Kevin Gamble said the event had drawn record crowds and the festival “includes all opinions and provides a platform for many different views”.