Experience the best events in Galway—completely free! Explore This is Galway's Ultimate Budget-Friendly Events Guide and never miss out on top happenings without spending a cent.
Please note: This article will be updated as events take place meaning that this article can be your go-to no matter the day of week or time of year.
Shop: The Market
When: July 19th, Aug 9th, from 11.30am
Where: Electric
More information here
To the vintage lovers, the preloved obsessives, and anyone who can’t bear to see good clothes go to waste – this one’s for YOU! The Market is composed of Paula (Paula Loves Vintage), Marianne (Lawlessontrend) and Jasmin (vintage_galway), 3 veterans of the market scene in Galway. They’ve decided that the time is right to set up their own indoor vintage and preloved market, focusing on carefully curated vintage and preloved clothing, vintage homewares, vinyl and some creative stalls. They are building something for vintage lovers who want the thrill of finding unique pieces in a beautiful space with a strong sense of style and quality. Join them for a mosey and a root through style gone by and perhaps pick up a gem you didn’t know you needed in your wardrobe. On the day you will be able to shop from a range of vintage and preloved clothes, vinyl, and homeware.
Guided Tour: LEGO Treasure Hunt
When: June 19th, at 12pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
Galway City Museum commissioned LEGO® brick artist, Jessica Farrell, to create twelve tiny models, using LEGO® bricks and minifigures, to depict scenes from Galway’s past and present. These mini models, which feature Pádraic Ó Conaire, Grace O’Malley and Turlough O’Connor, to name a few, are strategically placed throughout the Museum. Join Damien Donnellan to find these models and learn more about the history that inspired these Lego creations. Booking required, please contact Galway City Museum at museum@galwaycity.ie or 091 532460.
Literature: Lou Robbie Event
When: July 21st, from 6pm
Where: Kennys Bookshop
Register here
Professional chef Lou Robbie, known to many as @littleloucooks from social media, will be at Kennys Bookshop on July 21st to celebrate launch of her debut cookbook Make & Freeze. With over one million followers, Lou shares recipes online that are designed to provide followers with easy, quick and tasty dishes to nourish the whole family. Her debut cookbook Make & Freeze features 100 of Lou’s most popular tried and tested recipes. All are welcome to this launch event which will feature a book signing by Lou, speeches and refreshments, including some finger food that Lou will bring along based on some recipes from the book!
Health: Irish Cancer Society’s ‘Your Health Matters’ Roadshow Pop-up
When: July 23rd and 14th, from 9am
Where: Galway Shopping Centre, Headford Road
More information here
The Irish Cancer Society’s ‘Your Health Matters’ Roadshow will be in Galway Shopping Centre on Headford Road from 9am to 6pm on Wednesday July 23rd and Thursday July 24th, free of charge. Members of the public are invited to come along for free to speak with specialist cancer nurses to ask any questions they may have and seek support and advice. Pop down and have a chat with one of our nurses – no booking is required, just walk in. Available at the Roadshow are free blood pressure checks, body mass index (BMI) and carbon monoxide (CO) readings and information on cancer prevention, screening, and ways to help spot the early signs of cancer. A referral for a GP can also be arranged where further help is required.
Music: :Panic :Over
When: July 31st, from 11.59pm
Where: Róisín Dubh
More information here
:Panic :Over are the latest recipients of the BPI’s Music Export Growth Scheme funding. They were handpicked by the BPI to represent Northern Ireland at the UK National Day at World EXPO2025 in Osaka, Japan. Recently signed to Warner Music Group, the indie rockers celebrated their appearance at Expo with the release of their new single “Actor”. This summer they embark on their first tour outside of the UK. Fans of Rugby, Football, and Love Island already familiar with :Panic :Over’s tunes, are still struggling to get their instantly infectious hooks out of their heads.
Guided Tour: Galway City Museum Highlights
When: August 2nd, at 12pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
Join Damien Donnellan, Education and Exhibitions Assistant, for a free guided tour to learn about the fascinating stories behind some of the objects on display, including the oldest known Claddagh Ring, a medieval physician’s cup and more! The tour starts at the Museum reception desk. Booking required, please contact Galway City Museum at museum@galwaycity.ie or 091 532460.
Guided Tour: Galway City Museum for Families
When: August 9th, at 12pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
Join Damien Donnellan, Education and Exhibitions Assistant, for a free guided tour to learn about the origins of Galway and to hear fascinating stories behind some of the objects on display, including the oldest known Claddagh Ring and the statue of Pádraic Ó Conaire. The tour starts at the Museum reception desk. Booking required, please contact Galway City Museum at museum@galwaycity.ie or 091 532460.
Heritage Week: Claddagh Ring Tour
When: August 16th, at 12pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
Join Damien Donnellan for the last in a series of object-focused tours for Heritage Week 2025. Each day from the 16th August to Friday 22nd August, Damien highlighted a different object from the museum’s exhibitions, sharing its unique story and exploring its broader historical context. Uncover the origins of the oldest known Claddagh ring, crafted around 1700 by Galway goldsmith Richard Joyce. Hear the captivating tale of Joyce’s capture by Barbary pirates and his time in North Africa and discover how the Claddagh ring became a symbol of Galway’s heritage. Tours begin at the Museum reception desk. Booking is required – please contact museum@galwaycity.ie or 091 532460.
Heritage Week: The Statue of Padraic Ó Conaire
When: August 19th, at 12pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
Join Damien Donnellan for the last in a series of object-focused tours for Heritage Week 2025. Each day from the 16th August to Friday 22nd August, Damien highlighted a different object from the museum’s exhibitions, sharing its unique story and exploring its broader historical context. Discover the story of Pádraic Ó Conaire, born in Galway in 1882, who became the leading Irish-language writer of his generation. Learn about the creation of his memorial statue by sculptor Albert Power, its unveiling in Eyre Square in 1935, and its journey to Galway City Museum. Damien will explore both the life of Ó Conaire and the fascinating history of this iconic Galway landmark. Tours begin at the Museum reception desk. Booking is required – please contact museum@galwaycity.ie or 091 532460.
Heritage Week: The Galway Shawl
When: August 20th, at 12pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
To celebrate Heritage Week, Museum staff have prepared a special tour that begins with the origins of Galway – from Gaelic fort to Anglo-Norman town – and then focuses on an iconic object that reveals a story that has helped to shape the city’s unique character. Shawls were once a common item of women’s clothing. Draped around shoulders or head and wrapped about the body, they came in various shapes, sizes, patterns, and colours. Some shawls were worn purely for fashion, while others were worn to protect the wearer from the cold, wind, and rain. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, one type of shawl, which was made in Scotland, became so popular in the west of Ireland that it became known as the ‘Galway Shawl.’ Join them to learn more. Tours begin at the Museum reception desk. Booking is required – please contact museum@galwaycity.ie or 091 532460.
Heritage Week: The Great Mace of Galway
When: August 21st, at 12pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
To celebrate Heritage Week, Museum staff have prepared a special tour that begins with the origins of Galway – from Gaelic fort to Anglo-Norman town – and then focuses on an iconic object that reveals a story that has helped to shape the city’s unique character. Made around 1710 and presented to Galway by Mayor Edward Eyre, the Great Mace is a highly ornate piece of silverware, decorated with the insignia of England (rose), France (fleur-de-lis) Scotland (thistle) and Ireland (harp). It also bears the arms of Galway and of the British royal family. The Mace was in the possession of US newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, from the 1930s to the 1950s, but were returned to Galway in 1961. Tours begin at the Museum reception desk. Booking is required – please contact museum@galwaycity.ie or 091 532460.
Heritage Week: The Galway Hooker
When: August 22nd, at 12pm
Where: Galway City Museum
More information here
To celebrate Heritage Week, Museum staff have prepared a special tour that begins with the origins of Galway – from Gaelic fort to Anglo-Norman town – and then focuses on an iconic object that reveals a story that has helped to shape the city’s unique character. Galway Hookers, with their distinctive black hulls and rust-red sails, are the traditional boat of Galway Bay. They were traditionally used for fishing and for transporting cargo – turf, seaweed, limestone, livestock, and general supplies – and people around the coasts of Galway and North Clare. The ‘fountain’ in Eyre Square represents the sails of a Galway Hooker. Join them to learn more. Tours begin at the Museum reception desk. Booking is required – please contact museum@galwaycity.ie or 091 532460.
Heritage Week: Wonderful Wildflowers – a guided walk
When: August 23rd, at 2pm
Where: Brigit's Garden
More information here
A lovely opportunity to enjoy a guided walk through the wonderful variety of wildflower meadows at Brigit’s Garden and appreciate their importance for biodiversity. Expert Dolores Keegan will help identify a wide range of wild plants and Jenny Beale of Brigit’s Garden will share tips on how to successfully grow both annual and perennial meadows. Ideal for anyone interested in growing wildflowers in their gardens or community spaces.
Heritage Week: Trees in Irish culture and mythology – a guided walk
When: August 24th, at 11am
Where: Brigit's Garden
More information here
Join nature guide Carol Barrett for an interactive walk through the woodlands at Brigit’s Garden to learn about our native trees and shrubs and their importance in Ireland’s culture and mythology. Carol will also discuss Ogham script, where each letter is related to a tree, and address the importance of nature in the Brehon laws. Everyone will have the opportunity to make a wooden Ogham pendant to take home. Suitable for adults and interested teens.
Heritage Week: Family nature-based storytelling workshop in the woods
When: August 24th, at 2pm
Where: Brigit's Garden
More information here
Join storyteller and forest school leader Carol Barrett in the woods at Brigit’s Garden for an interactive storytelling workshop that will bring Irish nature-based myths and legends alive for children. Be prepared to get involved, dress up and have lots of fun! There will be costumes, masks and materials to get creative with and help act out the stories and legends. The workshop will be held under a large outdoor shelter which provides a dry, weatherproof space amongst the native trees. Suitable for adults with children aged 4+, but younger ones also welcome.
Music: The Dark Well
When: September 25th, from 8pm
Where: Róisín Dubh
More information here
The Dark Well – A Ground Breaking Collaboration of Banjo & Harmonica at Róisín Dubh. Two masters of their craft, Enda Scahill and Joel Andersson, come together to create something never before heard—a full album of Irish music on banjo and harmonica, a world-first recording that reimagines the tradition with breathtaking virtuosity and innovation.
Music: Nature TV
When: October 2nd, from 11.59pm
Where: Róisín Dubh
More information here
Door-to-door heartbreak salesmen Nature TV peddle an elixir of escapism and adventure. Sorrow and despondency. Contemplative nostalgia and tender melancholy. Hailing from Brighton it’s a canvasing technique they employ around the British Isles. Geographically out of phase with the main character energy of London, Guy Bangham (guitar, vocals), Josh Eriskin (bass) and James Hunt (lead guitar, backing vocals) write sadboi yacht rock, layered with all the buried trauma of a Wes Anderson plot. Playing in the Róisín Dubh, Galway on October 2nd, support on the night will be The Works.
Music: the drive.
When: November 6th, from 11.59pm
Where: Róisín Dubh
More information here
Dynamic and autonomous, Cork-based outfit the drive. have crafted a sound that fuses the dark, visceral energy of grunge with the reverb-drenched textures of shoegaze. A string of standalone singles first garnered international attention – earning the group US airtime, extensive press across Ireland and the UK, and features on Spotify’s ‘melomania.’ and the cover of ‘Alternative Ireland’. A band acclaimed for their captivating live performances of melancholic works, the drive. have built an impressive live résumé; with their stage successes including sold-out headline shows across Ireland – such as Whelan’s Upstairs and The Grand Social (Dublin), and Cyprus Avenue (Cork) – alongside festival circuits throughout the UK and Ireland. With a growing reputation and a unique sonic identity, the drive. have rightfully earned their place as one of Ireland’s most exciting emerging bands.
Music: Kling Klang
When: December 4th, from 11.59pm
Where: Róisín Dubh
More information here
Kling Klang are an artrock synthesizer band influenced by krautrock / noise / experimental / stoner music such as Neu!, Black Sabbath, Suicide, Trans Am and TwinKranes. The band are currently touring in support of their upcoming release on Wrong Speed Records, and the repress of their critically acclaimed debut LP “The Esthetik Of Destruction”. The current lineup features Joe McLaughlin, George McFall and Ricky White alongside Jon Hamilton from Part Chimp.
Feature photo by Ciarán MacChoncarraige
Published on Updated on
