RSPBANI gonna get down in Co Down at 75th anniversary gala Feb. 21st

Founded in 1950, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association’s Northern Ireland Branch will celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary on February 21, 2026, with an RSPBANI Anniversary Gala to mark the occasion with a formal gala dinner at the La Mon Hotel & Country Club in Newtownards, Co Down.

The night will include performances by young pipers, drummers and drum-majors, a drinks reception, formal photo opportunities, a charity raffle (proceeds going towards Pipe Band College Northern Ireland, as well as dancing and live entertainment by the Merchants six-piece dance band.

“This special event will celebrate the proud history of our local organization that we’ve built together, the partnerships formed, the music, the community and the progress driven by our bands-people.” – Andrew Graham, RSPBANI chair

“This special event will celebrate the proud history of our local organization that we’ve built together, the partnerships formed, the music, the community and the progress driven by our bands-people,” said Andrew Graham, RSPBANI chair. “We are urging all our bands and their representatives, young and old, to come along.”

The Northern Irish are mad for high-quality pipe bands. With a population of fewer than two-million, Northern Ireland is, next to Scotland, per capita the most densely-populated competitive pipe band country in the world. Some 40 competing bands and more than 3,000 pipers and drummers are members of RSPBANI.

Graham continued: “Over the last 75 years, the Northern Ireland Branch has had an unwavering dedication to promoting and advancing the culture of piping, drumming and drum-majors, and along the way, locally we have produced countless champions at every grade across the major band championships, drum-major championships, and solo competitions. The evening will reminisce and reflect on those past successes but will also look ahead to the future when it is fully envisaged that bands and individuals from Northern Ireland will continue to make their mark on the international stage.”

Tickets for the gala night are £60, (£55 when booking for groups of 10 or more) and available at the RSPBANI website until February 18th. If you don’t like purchasing online, phone the Branch Office at 0752 636 6396 or by email.

In the last five years, RSPBANI has become one of the world’s most transparent and communicative organizations in the piping and drumming world.

pipes|drums is pleased to be one of the many sponsors of the event.