President Michael D Higgins will head to Co Clare today to officially open the annual Fleadh Cheoil.

The traditional music and arts festival is an important marking on the Irish culture calendar.

Over 400,000 people are expected to arrive in Ennis over the next 10 days to attend lectures and see musicians, dancers, and many more, performing.

Chairman of the executive committee Micheál O’Riabhaigh has said the event is hugely popular.

“We are expecting in the region of 400,000 visits during the course of the week and a bit, and I think research has shown that approximately 20% of the visitors to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann come from aboard,” said O’Riabhaigh.

“Most of them coming from Briton, but a sufficient number of them coming from the United States and at this stage we have visitors coming from all over the world in fact”