Galway really is booming with fabulous events each month! In order to give you the chance to attend the best festival and events, we have decided to put together a guide which highlights 10 of the best events taking place in the month ahead. Enjoy!
Please note; Below is just a snippet of everything Galway has to offer event-wise in the month ahead. If you would like a full and inclusive look at everything Galway has going on, please check out our website at; https://thisisgalway.ie/events/.
1. Inishbofin Arts Festival
Inishbofin Island / 3rd-5th of May / tickets here
Get ready for a celebration of creativity and culture with the much-anticipated Inishbofin Arts Festival on the upcoming May Bank Holiday Weekend. Over the long weekend, experience a tapestry of creativity with visual arts, mesmerising music, captivating theatre performances, literary delights, amusing comedy and much more. It’s a cultural celebration that offers visitors a chance to listen to incredible music, try your hand at a new craft, and explore the untouched landscape of rolling hills and sandy beaches.
2. Muldoon’s Picnic
Town Hall Theatre / 13th of May / tickets here
Muldoon’s Picnic is a cabaret-style evening of poetry, prose, and music hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon. The show is named after a popular New York vaudeville act and an Irish American knockabout farce from the 1880s. The event is an omnium-gatherum of poetry, prose, and music, by turns witty, exuberant, and sophisticated. Kicking off the Irish tour from the Town Hall Theatre stage in Galway, Paul Muldoon and house band Rogue Oliphant will be joined by Booker Prize winning novelist Anna Burns, one of the leading Irish poets of their generation Padraig Regan, and Oscar winning musician Glen Hansard.
3. Galway Theatre Festival
Venues across Galway City / 3rd-11th May / tickets here
Galway Theatre Festival 2024 will feature 9 days of exciting theatre, spectacle and storytelling to showcase the vibrant performance culture of Ireland’s festival city. The festival brings together a range of arts organisations to present a diverse selection of productions, including thought-provoking dramas, street theatre, comedy, and workshops. The festival offers something for everyone, and audiences are encouraged to take a chance on something new and unexpected. If you want to check out what our top picks for this year’s festival are please tap here.
4. Galway Frocktails
Victoria Hotel / 11th of May / tickets here
Fabric Romance and Galway Sewing Meetup are excited to introduce the first Galway based Frocktails this May, celebrating sewists and dress makers across Ireland. On the night, attendees get a chance to mingle on arrival and enjoy signature fashion themed cocktails or mocktails and appetisers. This is then followed by a cat walk that willing attendees can participate in (non-mandatory) as well as a raffle of sponsored prizes. There will also be a photographer and music (DJ) to really make this a night to remember!
5. Celebrating Bealtaine and May Day
Brigit’s Garden / 5th of May / tickets here
You are warmly invited to join Brigit’s Garden in the Roundhouse from 7pm for a special celebration of the Celtic fire festival of Bealtaine (May Day) and the traditional start of summer. This is a time to re-emerge from the darker half of the year and open ourselves to the growth, warmth, joy and abundance of the summer season. During the celebrations, they will draw on the rich traditions of Bealtaine that reflect their connection with nature and the spirit of the land, decorating the May-bush and lighting twin Bealtaine fires in the Celtic Gardens. Brigit’s Garden will celebrate with song, story, a meditation, making intentions, and seasonal ritual. After the main celebration you are welcome to stay and share a poem or song around the fire, with a cuppa and chat.
6. London Symphonic Rock Orchestra
Leisureland / 9th of May / tickets here
Coming to Galway this May, boundary-breaking pioneers fusing the omnipotent power of the orchestra with innovative technology and the raucous rebellion of rock, the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra deliver iconic rock hits most spectacularly. Dressed as an army of rock warriors, LSRO performs whilst immersed in a candlelit fantasy forest. The atmosphere is electric, the musicians are mesmerising, and the supersonic, 100% live, wall of sound they create instantly captivates the audience. Expect reimagined classic hits from AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Guns N Roses, Evanescence, Motörhead, Foo Fighters, Rage Against The Machine, System of a Down and many more.
7. No Stairway - A Tribute to Led Zeppelin
Róisín Dubh / 18th of May / tickets here
Prepare yourself for a ‘whole lotta’ No Stairway, Ireland’s premiere Led Zeppelin tribute band as they perform twice at the Róisín Dubh this May. There will be an all ages show on the 18th from 4pm, and a 18+ years show on the 17th at 8pm (tickets for that are available here). Based in Galway, and made up of four of the finest musicians the city has to offer, No Stairway have a true love of this music and recreate Zeppelin’s live presence and studio albums as faithfully as possible.
8. N.I.C.E. Italian Film Festival Ireland
Pálás Cinema / 3rd-5th of May / tickets here
Coming to Galway for the very first time this May, the N.I.C.E. (New Italian Cinema Events) Italian Film Festival will bring a showcase of the best recent Italian films with English subtitles. Hosted by Pálás Cinema, the international film festival will begin on May 3rd with a wine reception in the bar followed by a screening of Italian director’s Maria Sole Tognazzi ‘Dieci Minuti’. All film tickets are available via the Pálás Cinema website.
9. Music for Galway - Cellissimo 2024
Town Hall Theatre / 18th-26th of May / tickets here
In May 2024, Cellissimo will strike a chord with Irish and international music audiences, as many of the world’s most acclaimed classical and contemporary composers, conductors, orchestras, artists, musicians, and performers gather at the edge of Europe to celebrate the power and beauty of the cello. A dynamic, inclusive, accessible celebration of superb music, Cellissimo will appeal to classical aficionados and first timers alike. A magnificent soundtrack in a magical setting, don’t miss it!
10. Fleadh na gCuach 2024
Kinvara / 3rd-6th May / more information here
Celebrating its 30th year in 2024, Fleadh na gCuach (the Cuckoo Fleadh) is a cherished traditional music and community-based arts festival held in Kinvara, South Galway. Whether you’re a seasoned session player or a curious newcomer, Fleadh na gCuach welcomes all to join in the fun and camaraderie that defines this magical event. During the festival, Kinvara’s pubs, restaurants and cafés will host over 50 lively sessions, creating an immersive musical experience for all attendees. Family-friendly activities abound at the festival, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy. From traditional music, singing sessions and poetry readings to kids’ activities including a Cuckoo Fun Run, a puppet show with Yourmans Puppets, Art Play and much more, younger attendees can expect a weekend filled with joy and entertainment.
Feature photo by Chaosheng Zhang
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