PICTURE: MAL MCCANNSnow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has spoken about the growth of the music culture in Belfast as thousands of people are set to visit the city this week for the Fleadh. Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann – the world’s biggest celebration of Irish music and culture – kicks off on Sunday, with 800,000 people expected to attend the festival, which runs until August 9. Speaking ahead of the opening of the festival, Lightbody said that despite travelling the world playing music, he has always felt the call back to Northern Ireland where he has lived for the last five years. “There are so many extraordinary places in Northern Ireland and there’s beauty everywhere.” The multi-platinum artist said that from a cultural and musical perspective, it can be hard to recognise Northern Ireland now from the place he grew up in.