Headford’s community Arts Festival, Something In The Water, takes place in the town from the 1st to the 5th of October 2025. This is the festival’s third year, and it has built upon the success of their achievements to bring you a programme full of local talent, as well as guest artists.

The festival will open on Wednesday 1st of October, with the launch of an exhibition by local artist Sarah Martyn, a photographic tour of Ross Errilly Friary by St. Fursa’s Historical Society, and a performance by Headford Community Orchestra and various other ensembles. On Thursday, award winning author Donal Ryan makes his return to Headford for an evening of readings and conversation, and on Friday, along with our fun filled festival launch –which gives everyone a chance to sing, Headford Actors Workshop will take to the stage with Dylan Thomas’ beautiful work, ‘Under Milkwood.’

After that, it’s safe to say that Saturday and Sunday are jam packed with exhibitions, workshops, family events, and some incredible music performances by Bel Canto, Con Tempo String Quartet, GUH Jazz Project, and an evening of Originals Only by local singer songwriters James Biggins, Joe Costello, Ailish Laffey, Ava Merrigan and Cathy Shannon.

On Sunday evening we are delighted to be able to bring you ‘Amráin Muige Seola,’ featuring Brid Dooley, Nicola Joyce, Fabian Joyce, Orlaith Keane, and Eoin Wynne, among others. This is a performance of local traditional ballads, that were collected into a volume by Mrs. Eileen Costello in 1923. In recent years these songs are being played and sung less and less, but under the musical direction of Mairead Berrill, we hope to bring them to new audiences and back into circulation.

And there’s plenty more to choose from, including a locally produced film, Muck, which featured in the Galway Film Fleadh in July, and was filmed in Ballycurrin House, just outside Headford, in March of 2025. There’s also A Chance to Dance with DJ Conor Nolan at Galway’s best music pub, Campbell’s Tavern, and a lot more besides.

The organisers of the festival firmly believe that the arts should be accessible to everyone, and that cost shouldn’t be a barrier to being able to engage with the arts in your community, and it’s for this reason, they’ve kept their ticket prices quite low, made as many events as possible family friendly, and offered what they can for free—all of which is made possible by the kind support of The Arts Council, Galway County Council Arts Office and Galway Rural Development.

For the full brochure and list of events, please check out the festival’s social media channels, Facebook: @somethinginthewaterheadford Instagram: @headfordsomethinginthewater, or to buy tickets make your way to https://buytickets.at/somethinginthewater

Headford is less that half an hour from Galway, so come on out and join us, we’d love to see you!