The twentieth Culture Night takes place on Friday, 19 September 2025, celebrating Galway’s rich artistic and cultural life. Supported by the Arts Council and managed by Galway City Council Arts Office, the programme features late night events across all artforms, with a focus on inclusion, creativity, and community. Expect music, theatre, visual art, workshops, and immersive performances citywide.
The complete programme will be revealed in the weeks leading up to Culture Night, but here’s a preview of what’s in store;
One of the most captivating highlights is Titim na hOíche, presented by An Taibhdhearc in collaboration with the Claddagh Chamber Choir. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Middle Street, this ambitious performance brings together choral soundscapes, solo voices, and projected visuals to create a bewitching twilight experience. Celebrating Galway’s bilingual and multicultural identity, the event invites audiences to walk through a shifting world of light and sound, animated by the voices of many languages.
In Galway’s Westend, Hidden Gems offers a completely different kind of cultural journey. The area becomes an open-air stage, with pop-up theatre, live music, drag, spoken word, and impromptu performances appearing in cafés, laneways, and shopfronts. With an emphasis on spontaneity and intimacy, this roaming event captures the rebellious energy of Galway’s independent artists.
Marking a major milestone, Blue Teapot Theatre Company opens its doors with an exhibition to celebrate 15 years of its ground-breaking Performing Arts School. Founded to fill a major gap in accessible arts education for adults with intellectual disabilities, the school has empowered over 46 graduates to develop and showcase their talents.
For theatre lovers, 30 Plays in 60 Minutes returns to Electric Nightclub with its unique blend of chaos and creativity. The Woodland Throne in Merlin Woods offers a whimsical outdoor theatre experience where woodland animals and humans campaign for leadership in a playful yet thought-provoking election, blending music, storytelling, and interactive voting.
Music and dance events abound across the city. At Kennedy’s, Kizomba Dance Academy Ireland hosts a joyful evening of Latin and African dance workshops in salsa, bachata, kizomba, and semba. At The Ol' 55, Los Wachos offers a joyful exploration of Latin identity within an Irish setting. Across town, Afro Music Night at Fibber Magees fills the space with Afrobeats from top Irish and African DJs, celebrating African culture through rhythm and dance. Adding to the musical offerings of the night, the Mechanics Institute hosts a collaborative performance by Galway Ukulele groups and Cóir na dTreabh, blending ukulele arrangements and choral harmonies in both solo and combined sets.
Culture Night also shines a spotlight on Galway’s intercultural richness through storytelling and heritage events. Historian John Cunningham leads a walking tour from Galway City Museum, featuring lively short talks on the city’s history. For a different thematic slant; Courts, Culture, and the City will be a bilingual, guided walking tour exploring Galway's legal and cultural heritage. Delivered in English by Dr Charles O'Mahony and in Irish by Dr Ursula Connolly of the School of Law, University of Galway this event brings to life stories of justice, power, punishment, and reform through the streets of the city. Rhythms of India offers a vivid three-hour programme of Bollywood and classical Indian dance and music at Coláiste Muire Máthair, followed by an immersive performance of Bharatanatyam led by choreographer Sahana Sridhar.
Visual art and film are also equally well represented. Experience Stay Forever More at a special late-night viewing at Outset Gallery on Culture Night with a new way to engage with Patryk Gizicki’s powerful photographic series on migration, identity, and belonging. For Culture Night, the gallery will transform into an immersive environment, with live performances from musicians who have collaborated with the artist to create a soundscape responding to the work. Galway Atlantaquaria opens its doors for a night of Marine Tales, through origami with Tom Cuffe, live music, and a screening of Against the Waning Light. Engage Art Studios will host an exhibition by Vicky Smith exploring women’s experiences and family life, with open studios across the city offering a glimpse into the world of professional artists.
Rounding out the evening is The Air We Share, a documentary screening at Westside Resource Centre, the longer term project was guided by the theme of “making the invisible visible”, and highlights the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to air pollution. Through artistic interventions, citizen science, and community action in Galway’s Westside, it also aims to deepen understanding of air and its critical role in our shared environment. This documentary explores air quality and community action through the lens of art and science.
With so much to experience, Culture Night 2025 promises to be a thrilling celebration of creativity, diversity, and the power of shared public space. #OicheDárSaol #OneNightForAll #CultureNight #OicheChultúir
Disclaimer: Events and programme development is ongoing at the time of publication. See @artsofficegalwaycity on Instagram and culturenight.ie for updated event information.
All photos by Anita Murphy, from Culture Night 2024.
Published on Updated on
