Going Coastal: Galway’s new music festival by local promoters

Going Coastal, Galway's newest music festival, brings local music promoters together for five days of live music across ten venues in Galway City this November. Get the details here...

Going Coastal is a festival of contemporary original music featuring young, emerging and established acts from the western edge of Ireland. It takes place over five days, from November 15-19, across ten venues in Galway City and includes events curated by The Black Gate, A Modern Movement, Free House, Strange Brew, West Coast Punx, Gash Collective, Ar Ais Arís, Rough Cut, Yawlag Collective, That’s Life, Genuine Irish and youth music project Livefeed, i.e. The Cream of the Crop when it comes to putting on entertaining shows with quality performers.

Bringing together curators from across a range of genres, Going Coastal has something for everyone - from the vibrant, energetic Yawlag Collective doing a two-floor DJ takeover of the Róisín Dubh, to up-and-coming indie acts like Search Results and Adore as part of Free House. The festival will also include all-ages shows curated by That’s Life, an arts and personal development program for people with intellectual disabilities, and youth music project Livefeed who will have a slate of original young acts performing.

Going Coastal / That's Life

For night owls, Strange Brew’s new midnight show will be hosting local punks Shark School and Limerick’s Moving Home, while A Modern Movement will be bringing Nerves back home to The Loft at Seven Bar alongside Sligo’s Some Remain. Club Áras na nGael will see Ar Ais Arís bring jungle and footwork DJs to a tightly packed room and West Coast Punx curating an international lineup of DIY punk bands. There will also be events catering to a more relaxed vibe in the form of a coffee & music trail curated by Genuine Irish and a songwriter night from Rough Cut in the mediaeval cavern of Club DeBurgos.

The Mick Lally Theatre will see performances presented by The Black Gate with Maija Sofia, George Houston, Tracy Bruen, Rodney Owl and Rufus Coastes & Jess Smith performing across the weekend and the festival culminates in a Sunday Session with bands in The Blue Note followed by a festival wrap party in Bierhaus soundtracked by Gash Collective, a collective and label focused on supporting female, trans, queer, non-binary and other underrepresented people in music production and DJing.

Going Coastal / Kettle Boilers

The aim of Going Coastal is to contribute to an inclusive and sustainable vision for independent music on the western edge of Ireland, one that supports emerging artists, celebrates local music heritage, and connects artists, promoters and enthusiasts from across the region.

Going Coastal // 15 - 19 November 2023
The full festival programme can be found at www.notbad.ie/goingcoastal2023

Going Coastal is funded by Galway City Council and the Galway City Creative Ireland Programme, with support from the Galway County Creative Ireland Programme and Flirt FM. Going Coastal is presented by Not Bad & The Black Gate.