The 19th edition of Culture Night will captivate audiences on Friday 20th September 2024. A national moment, celebrating culture, creativity and the Arts, it will bring Galway's rich culture and diversity to the forefront and make the Arts in all its forms accessible to everyone.
This year's Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir programme reflects diversity and will be delivered across a range of locations in the City from 6pm. There will be huge activity across the city and in its neighbourhoods as well as some special late-night events. Highlights of Galway Culture Night 2024 include:
Let's Draw | 8pm | Spanish Arch, Galway City
In collaboration with the French Embassy in Ireland, Galway City Council presents “Let's Draw” at Galway City Culture Night Late. Let’s Draw by Maxime Touroute and Rémy Dupanloup is funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and is part of the ongoing development and enhancement of Galway City's thriving Night-Time Economy. This innovative project will transform Galway's iconic Spanish Arch into an interactive canvas where the public becomes the artist.
Let’s Draw invites participants of all ages to use their smartphones as drawing tools. Their creations will be projected in real-time onto the Comerford House building, forming a tapestry of light and colour! Local street artists and illustrators from Galway will participate alongside the public, offering guidance and inspiration. Themed drawing prompts will encourage collaboration and ignite a shared sense of creativity.
Let’s Draw is open to everyone, regardless of artistic experience. A limited number of drawing devices will be available for those without smartphones. Join them for a night of creativity and community.
OTHERWORLD | From 8pm until late | Outset Gallery, The Cornstore Mall
Join them for a one night music and arts event celebrating the duality of Galway’s cultural identity.
Following the huge success of Culture Night 2023, Outset Gallery in collaboration with Creative Producer Emmet Kerrigan proudly present OTHERWORLD for Culture Night 2024. This ambitious multidisciplinary arts event promises to guide audiences through an expansive landscape, spanning multiple areas, stages and showcasing stellar music acts from Galway and beyond.
Through the incorporation of an immersive audiovisual experience, OTHERWORLD seeks to encapsulate a moment in time reflecting Galway's contemporary cultural essence and identity by referencing dual timelines to create a music and arts event explores contentment and ambition, mirroring the city's balance between historic charm and future possibilities.
Echoes of the Ocean | 6-8pm | Galway Atlantaquaria, Salthill
The final Instalment of the Sounds of the Sea Series. Galway Atlantaquaria invites you to join them for Culture Night 2024 experience like no other.
Echoes of the Ocean will be the last chapter of the Sound of the Sea Series that previously featured artists like Aoife Welby, Brian Keegan, KaRoSal, Eugene Lambe, Francis Heery, and Galway Ukers.
On Culture Night they will host another musical night with the return of Eugene Lambe and the Uileann Pipes, with performances and workshop on the history of this iconic instrument. They will also have the ‘Sea Shanties’ from community volunteers Ryan and Lauriane, playing the fiddle and other instruments. They are inviting the Galway Bay Is Calling group to create a large community of varied instruments playing Namoi Berrills “Leave No Trace” Adaption. These musical echoes will resound all through the Aquarium on the night.
There will be some fun scavenger hunts and talks by the ocean tank and rockpools.
Galway Street Art Collaboration + Ró Collaboration | 6pm | Millennium Children's Park, University Rd
The Galway Street Art Collaboration aims to provide a safe zone for the public through a pop-up street art demonstration in Galway's Millennium Park.
This year, several artists from both local and international backgrounds will collaborate and will select and gather a number of participants and spectators to spray an 8 x 40 ft industrial tarp along the park's gable fences. The 2023 event attracted 85 participants, ranging from ages 5 to 72, showcasing a wide range of creative community presence.
This year's event, themed 'The Tribes' will focus on Galway's heritage, presenting a spray painting workshop open to all ages. A mandatory "leave no trace" element will be enforced, with all safety measures in place.
Pop-Up Céilí: Galway Céilí Club | 6-9pm | Several Locations across the city centre
Galway Céilí Club is committed to making traditional Irish dance fun and accessible to the people of Galway. For Culture Night, they are transforming multiple locations across Galway city centre into a lively stage with their mobile céilí unit.
The troupe of three talented musicians, mobile sound system and eight skilled dancers will host up to seven pop-up céilís, bringing spontaneous bursts of music and dance to unexpected spots across Galway City Centre between 6pm & 9pm. At each stop, the dance master will invite the audience to join in and learn a few steps, making every performance an interactive and inclusive experience. This dynamic event aims to surprise and delight passersby, creating a festive atmosphere that celebrates Galway's rich cultural heritage.
Perfect for all ages and skill levels, the pop-up céilí will foster community spirit and introduce the joy of Irish dance to both locals and visitors alike. So grab your dancing shoes and strike the cobblestones with us as they chain, swing and house across three hours of foot stomping fun this Culture Night.
Celebrating Creativity & Community - COPE Galway X ArtSpace Studios | 6pm | Abhainn na mBradán, Newtownsmith
COPE Galway, in partnership with Artspace Studios and 126 Artist-Run Gallery and Studios, are hosting an interactive art experience and exhibition at the newly opened charity shop in Newtownsmith. The evening will begin with a brief talk from a staff member of COPE Galway describing the impact of COPE Galway's services. This will be followed by an interactive art portion of the evening, attendees can create their own pieces of art. All materials will be provided on site. There will be a limited number of spots available, online booking in advance is required.
Beginning at 7:00pm, there will be an opportunity to view and purchase exhibited pieces of art from artists organised by Artspace Studios and 126 Artist-Run Gallery and Studios - two Galway-based organisations that have been providing opportunities and workspaces for emerging and established visual artists. This will be accompanied by a live performance from a local guest performer.
Artist Working Talks- Just Art It | 7pm | Just Art It, Dominick Street lower, Galway's Westend
Join visual artist- printmaker Elena Santos in conversation with visual artist Siobhan McNutt as part of the series of Artist Working Talks in studio at Just Art It in Dominick Street Lower. Artist Working is an open multidisciplinary project with the aim of highlighting the nature of the artist profession beyond the artwork. The event will be accompanied by an exhibit of Siobhan's work.
Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir is delivered nationwide in cities, towns, villages and rural locations as well as online and through national media. Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir is managed nationally by the Arts Council (supported by Galway's own Milestone Events) and will be led in Galway City by Galway City Council Arts Office.
All photos courtesy of Galway City Council from Culture Night 2023.
